Honors Theses and Capstones

Date Completed

Spring 2026

Abstract

Eye diseases like cataracts, age-related macular degeneration (AMD), and glaucoma are widespread and detrimental conditions affecting many people across the globe. While there are reliable and successful treatments for those with cataracts that can reverse vision impediments, others like glaucoma and AMD have limited treatment options. Additionally, eye damage resulting from these conditions is commonly irreversible, establishing a need for new treatment options. The Iberian-ribbed newt, Pleurodeles waltl, is a salamander species primarily studied for their amazing regenerative capabilities. Particularly, these newts are capable of de novo lens regeneration after a complete resection, providing a unique opportunity to study regeneration as a biological process. Four genes, Transmembrane protein 116 (TMEM116), Sorbin and SH3 domain-containing protein 1 (SORBS1), Lin-7 homolog A (LIN7A) and Protein largen (PRR16) have shown in literature to be crucial in the mobility and metastasis of certain cancers through the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). EMT has also been implicated during newt lens regeneration. Here, I hypothesize that CRISPR-mediated knockout of these genes will inhibit the regeneration process due to the reduced motility of the regenerating cells. To achieve this, newt embryos were injected with CRISPR, lenses removed as juveniles and samples collected following 14 days of regeneration. These samples were then genotyped with PCR to confirm gene mutations and processed for sectioning, staining, and imaging, to reveal their effects on regeneration. Revealed is a unique inhibition of lens regeneration resulting from TMEM116 knockout mutants, and one that will catalyze future studies in this lab. This project identifies a novel modulator of newt lens regeneration, and may serve as groundwork for future regenerative therapies for diseases like AMD, glaucoma and cataracts.

Document Type

Undergraduate Thesis

First Advisor

Konstantinos Sousounis

Second Advisor

Olivia Williams

College or School

COLSA

Department or Program

MCBS

Degree Name

Bachelor of Science

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