David M. Gamm, M.D., Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Waisman Center, Room T609
1500 Highland Avenue
Madison, WI 53705
Office : (608) 263-6429
Clinic : (608) 263-6414
| Degrees: | MD, PhD, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor |
| Appointments: | Retina Research Foundation Edwin & Dorothy Gamewell Professor, UW Eye Research Institute |
| Internships: | Spectrum Hospitals, Grand Rapids, MI |
| Residency: | University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics, Madison, WI |
| Fellowships: | University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics, Madison, WI |
| Specialty: | Pediatric ophthalmology and strabismus, cataract surgery and intraocular lens implantation, glaucoma, retinopathy of prematurity |
| Research: | Inherited and acquired eye diseases that culminate in the degeneration of photoreceptors and retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) are a significant cause of visual morbidity. The expansion and targeted differentiation of human stem and progenitor cells in vitro provide an essential source of biological material for modeling retinal development and potential cell-based treatments for these debilitating diseases. The aims of our laboratory are to 1) investigate cellular and molecular events that occur during retinogenesis and 2) provide cells for use in rescue or replacement therapies for retinal degenerative diseases. To meet these goals, we utilize a variety of cell types. Retinal and neural progenitors are amenable to viral transformation and demonstrate the capacity to efficiently deliver neuroprotective factors directly to the retina. Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) are used to delineate the genetic "checkpoints" necessary to produce a particular retinal cell type and serve as a model system for studying human retinal development. Lastly, in collaboration with Dr. James Thomson, our laboratory has initiated a study designed to direct induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS) towards a retinal lineage in a manner similar to hESCs, which may allow for the creation of cell-based models for human retinal degenerative diseases. By understanding the behavior of these cell types in vitro and in vivo, we hope to optimize strategies to delay or reverse the effects of inherited and acquired eye diseases such as retinitis pigmentosa and macular degeneration. |
| Publications: | Meyer JS, Shearer RL, Capowski EE, Wright LS, McMillan EL, Zhang SC and Gamm DM. Modeling early retinal development with human embryonic and induced pluripotent stem cells. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 106(39):16698-16703, 2009. [Commentary by Wang SZ. Tales of retinogenesis told by human stem cells. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 106(39):16543-16544, 2009.] Gamm D.M., Wright L.S, Capowski, E., Kim, H.J., Shearer R.L., Melvan J.N., Schroeder, B. and Svendsen C.N. (2008) Regulation of human retinal neurosphere growth and cell fate potential by retinal pigment epithelia and Mash1. Stem Cells, Dec;26(12):3182-93. Gamm DM, Melvan JN, Shearer RL, Pinilla I, Sabat G, Svendsen CN and Wright LS (2008). A novel serum-free method for culturing human prenatal retinal pigment epithelial cells. Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences. 49,788-99. Wang S, Girman S, Lu B, Holmes T, Shearer R, Wright LS, Svendsen CN, Gamm DM and Lund RD (2008). Long term vision rescue by human neural progenitors in a rat model of photoreceptor degeneration. Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences. 49, 3201-06. Gamm DM , Wang S, Lu B, Girman S, Holmes T, Bischoff N, Shearer RL, Sauve Y, Capowski E, Svendsen CN, Lund RD (2007). Protection of visual functions by human neural progenitors in a rat model of retinal disease. PLoS ONE 3, 1-10. Gamm, D.M., Nelson, A.D. and Svendsen, C.N. (2005) Human retinal progenitor cells grown as neurospheres demonstrate time-dependent changes in neuronal and glial cell fate potential. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences. 1049, 107-117. |
| Locations: | University Station Clinic (608-263-6414) |