ECaBox Symposium: Seeing the Future

Register for the ECaBox Symposium: Seeing the Future on 3rd June 2025, a full-day event bringing together leading experts to discuss the latest advancements in eye disease, retinal regeneration, and therapeutic innovations. This symposium will provide a unique opportunity to engage with top researchers, explore cutting-edge discoveries, and foster new collaborations.

In addition to the whole ECaBox team, we are excited to welcome in Barcelona a distinguished lineup of international experts.

Agenda (CEST)
9:00 Registration
9:30 Welcome
9:40 Ruth Ashery Padan, Tel Aviv University – Transcription factors and chromatin remodelers in eye development
10:25 Thomas Reh, University of Washington – Stimulating functional neural regeneration in adult mice by reprogramming Muller glia
11:10 Coffee Break
11:40 Serge Picaud, The Vision Institute of Paris – Visual restoration: From prostheses, to optogenetic and sonogenetic therapies
12:25 Vishali Gupta, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research – Transforming Lab Insights into Management Solutions for Ocular TB
13:10 Lunch
14:40 Thomas Euler, University of Tübingen – What the eye tells the brain: The sequel
15:25 Peter Hitchcock, University of Michigan – Neuronal regeneration from Müller glia in the zebrafish retina
16:10 Coffee Break
16:40 Elena Vecino, University of the Basque Country – From the mouse eye to the whale’s: what we have learned
17:25 Eimear Byrne, Centre for Genomic Regulation – Retinal resuscitation in post mortem eyes
18:10 Closing Remarks & Networking drinks

Follow this link to sign up and secure your spot!

Abstracts

Ruth Ashery Padan, Tel Aviv University – Transcription factors and chromatin remodelers in eye development

Transcription factors and chromatin regulators cooperate to execute the tissue-specific transcriptional programs during embryonic development. Identifying these tissue-specific complexes, their bound genomic sites, their dynamic changes throughout tissue maturation, and understanding their roles in human genetic diseases presents a significant challenge. This study focuses on the identification and functional analysis of transcriptional complexes that control the retinal pigmented epithelium (RPE) differentiation, an important lineage for retinal development and function. By integrating mechanistic insights from stem cell-derived human RPE, in vivo functional studies in mice, and comprehensive transcriptomic and proteomic analyses, we identified the combination of transcription factors that function with the SWI/SNF chromatin-remodeling complex collaboratively to regulate the RPE transcriptome. Furthermore, this study further illustrates how these epigenomic findings can deepen our understanding of the genetics of the common retinal disease, age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

Thomas Reh, University of Washington – Stimulating functional neural regeneration in adult mice by reprogramming Muller glia

While some species spontaneously regenerate their retinas after injury, mammals do not.  The molecular mechanisms that enable fish Muller glia to regenerate neurons requires expression of the proneural transcripton factor Ascl1. Several years ago we tested whether forced expression of this factor in mouse Muller glia would induce the capacity for neural regeneration. We found that targeting expression of Ascl1 to adult mouse Muller glia enabled these cells to generate new neurons after retinal injury. The new neurons primarily resembled bipolar cells, as assessed by immunolabeling, transcriptomics and electrophysiology. Since this first demonstration that functional retinal regeneration is possible in adult mice, we have identified additional transcription factors that direct the Muller glia to other types of retinal neurons, including amacrine cells, ganglion cells, and photoreceptors. We have found that these factors can be delivered with AAV vectors, and that Muller glia can be reprogrammed to generate neurons in human and monkey as well as mice. These results, taken together, form the foundation of a new type of regenerative therapy for retinal disease using in vivo cellular reprogramming.

Serge Picaud, The Vision Institute of Paris – Visual restoration: From prostheses, to optogenetic and sonogenetic therapies

Visual restoration is certainly the greatest challenge for brain-machine interfaces with the high pixel number and high refreshing rate. After photoreceptors degeneration, the remaining retinal circuit can be reactivated with a photovoltaic prosthesis resulting in visual acuity close to 1/20. As an alternative, we also demonstrated efficacy of optogenetic therapy with form vision and the ability to grab objects. When patients have lost the eye to brain connection, we are developing sonogenetic therapy relying on ultrasound activation of cortical neuronal following a gene therapy to express a mechanosensitive ionic channel. These technologies offer great hopes for restoring vision in blind patients.

Vishali Gupta, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research – Transforming Lab Insights into Management Solutions for Ocular TB

Ocular TB remains one of the most ill understood ocular diseases due to combination of pathogenetic mechanisms including both immune driven as well as infective components thus making treatment decisions extremely  difficult as well as confusing. The talk aims to highlight some of these concepts and discuss potential areas of future research.

Thomas Euler, University of Tübingen – What the eye tells the brain: The sequel

In my talk, I will present my lab’s recent research on mouse vision, focusing on the information conveyed by different types of retinal ganglion cells to downstream visual areas of the brain. I will specifically discuss how retinal output may change over time, using a model of progressive photoreceptor degeneration as an example, and how it varies across retinal locations to support specific behavioral tasks.

Peter Hitchcock, University of Michigan – Neuronal regeneration from Müller glia in the zebrafish retina

In striking contrast to mammals, zebrafish, possess the extraordinary ability to repair injuries to the brain and retina. When retinal neurons die in zebrafish, Müller glia reprogram their transcriptional profiles, acquire stem cell-like features and undergo a single asymmetric division that gives rise to multipotent Müller glia (MG)-derived progenitors. These progenitors proliferate, migrate to areas of cell death and differentiate, functionally replacing the ablated neurons. This sequence of regeneration is governed by the innate immune system and the orchestrated sequence of pro- and anti-inflammatory molecules. This talk will describe published and unpublished studies of how the inflammatory response and specific inflammatory cytokines govern photoreceptor and neuronal regeneration in the zebrafish retina.

Elena Vecino, University of the Basque Country – From the mouse eye to the whale’s: what we have learned

In this presentation, I will show the most relevant findings regarding the changes that occur in the retina in experimental models of glaucoma, and what we have learned in recent years about the adaptation of the eye of the largest mammal on the planet — whales — to withstand high pressures and to live in an aquatic environment.The Experimental Ophthalmology Group at the University of the Basque Country, (www.ehu.eus/gobe) which I lead, has been a pioneer in the development and study of experimental models of glaucoma that are now used internationally.

Eimear Byrne, Centre for Genomic Regulation – Retinal resuscitation in post mortem eyes

Vision impairment profoundly affects the lives of millions globally, yet effective methods to fully restore sight remain elusive. Unlike some lower vertebrate species, humans and other mammals are not capable of retinal regeneration, and currently, no definitive cures exist to reverse blindness. In our study, we explored the feasibility of preserving entire eyes outside the body for future use in pre-clinical therapeutic testing or for whole eye transplantation (WET). The ECaBox system presents a promising platform for the global testing of new therapies and offers a means of preserving ocular tissues for potential transplantation. Moreover, our findings provoke a reevaluation of the idea that brain death is an irreversible state.