Müller glia originate from neuroepithelium and are the principal glial cells in the retina. During retinal development, Müller glia are one of the last cell types to be born. In lower vertebrates, such as zebrafish, Müller glia possess a remarkable capacity for retinal regeneration following various forms of injury through a reprogramming process in which endogenous Müller glia proliferate and differentiate into all types of retinal cells. In mammals, Müller glia become reactive in response to damage to protect or to further impair retinal function. Although mammalian Müller glia have regenerative potential, it is limited as far as repairing damaged retina. Lessons learned from zebrafish will help reveal the critical mechanisms involved in Müller glia reprogramming. Progress has been made in triggering Müller glia to reprogram and generate functional neurons to restore vision in mammals indicating that Müller glia reprogramming may be a promising therapeutic strategy for human retinal diseases. This review comprehensively summarizes the mechanisms related to retinal regeneration in model animals and the critical advanced progress made in Müller glia reprogramming in mammals.

Müller 胶质细胞起源于神经上皮细胞，是视网膜中的主要胶质细胞。在视网膜发育过程中，Müller 胶质细胞是最后诞生的细胞类型之一。在低等脊椎动物（如斑马鱼）中，Müller 神经胶质细胞通过重编程过程在各种形式的损伤后具有显着的视网膜再生能力，在该过程中，内源性 Müller 神经胶质细胞增殖并分化为所有类型的视网膜细胞。在哺乳动物中，Müller 胶质细胞对损伤做出反应以保护或进一步损害视网膜功能。尽管哺乳动物 Müller 胶质细胞具有再生潜力，但它在修复受损视网膜方面是有限的。从斑马鱼中吸取的教训将有助于揭示 Müller 胶质细胞重编程所涉及的关键机制。在触发 Müller 胶质细胞重编程和生成功能性神经元以恢复哺乳动物视力方面取得了进展，表明 Müller 胶质细胞重编程可能是一种有前途的人类视网膜疾病治疗策略。这篇综述全面总结了模型动物视网膜再生的相关机制以及哺乳动物 Müller 胶质细胞重编程的重要进展。