David Gamm
· ProfessorUniversity of Wisconsin-Madison · Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences
Active 1991–2026
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About
David Gamm, MD, PhD, is a Professor in the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences at UW–Madison and serves as the Director of the McPherson Eye Research Institute. His research focuses on diseases of the retina, stem cell biology, disease modeling, regenerative medicine, and cell and gene therapies for retinal degenerations such as retinitis pigmentosa and age-related macular degeneration. Dr. Gamm has pioneered the use of human pluripotent stem cell technology to derive retinal cells and tissues, and he holds the first patent for human retinal organoid technology, which contributed to the establishment of Opsis Therapeutics. His laboratory has developed protocols for directing induced pluripotent stem cells towards retinal lineages, creating 3D retinal organoids that mimic human retinogenesis, and producing scalable, cGMP-compliant retinal cells for potential therapeutic applications. He has contributed significantly to the adaptation of stem cell technologies for clinical use, including the development of biodegradable microscaffolds for cell delivery and the creation of reporter lines to track retinal cell development. Dr. Gamm's work has advanced the understanding of retinal development and disease, and he has been actively involved with the National Eye Institute, industry, and foundations to explore stem cell-based treatments for blinding disorders. He is also dedicated to training and mentoring international students and researchers, fostering global…
Research topics
- Biology
- Neuroscience
- Genetics
- Computer Science
- Cell biology
- Anatomy
- Surgery
- Computational biology
- Botany
- Data science
Selected publications
The NIH Somatic Cell Genome Editing program
Nature · 2021 · 130 citations
The move from reading to writing the human genome offers new opportunities to improve human health. The United States National Institutes of Health (NIH) Somatic Cell Genome Editing (SCGE) Consortium aims to accelerate the development of safer and more-effective methods to edit the genomes of disease-relevant somatic cells in patients, even in tissues that are difficult to reach. Here we discuss the consortium's plans to develop and benchmark approaches to induce and measure genome modifications…
Investigating cone photoreceptor development using patient-derived NRL null retinal organoids
Communications Biology · 2020 · 100 citations
Photoreceptor loss is a leading cause of blindness, but mechanisms underlying photoreceptor degeneration are not well understood. Treatment strategies would benefit from improved understanding of gene-expression patterns directing photoreceptor development, as many genes are implicated in both development and degeneration. Neural retina leucine zipper (NRL) is critical for rod photoreceptor genesis and degeneration, with NRL mutations known to cause enhanced S-cone syndrome and retinitis pigment…
Molecular Neurodegeneration · 2023 · 81 citations
Retinal ganglion cell (RGC) death in glaucoma and other optic neuropathies results in irreversible vision loss due to the mammalian central nervous system's limited regenerative capacity. RGC repopulation is a promising therapeutic approach to reverse vision loss from optic neuropathies if the newly introduced neurons can reestablish functional retinal and thalamic circuits. In theory, RGCs might be repopulated through the transplantation of stem cell-derived neurons or via the induction of endo…
Cell stem cell · 2022 · 67 citations
Stem Cell Reports · 2022-07-28 · 50 citations
articleOpen accessRegenerative therapies aimed at replacing photoreceptors are a promising approach for the treatment of otherwise incurable causes of blindness. However, such therapies still face significant hurdles, including the need to improve subretinal delivery and long-term survival rate of transplanted cells, and promote sufficient integration into the host retina. Here, we successfully delivered in vitro-derived human photoreceptor precursor cells (PRPCs; also known as immature photoreceptors) to the sub…
Recent grants
Disease Mechanisms in Best Disease
NIH · $2.0M · 2015–2020
NIH · $864k · 2009
Mechanisms of Retinogenesis in Human Stem Cells
NIH · $2.2M · 2010–2018
Frequent coauthors
- 97 shared
M. Joseph Phillips
McPherson College
- 67 shared
Elizabeth E. Capowski
University of Wisconsin–Madison
- 67 shared
Michael Struck
- 65 shared
Thomas D. France
- 65 shared
Yasmin S. Bradfield
University of Wisconsin–Madison
- 64 shared
J. Jack Lee
- 64 shared
Koni K. Arnold
Anchorage School District
- 64 shared
Elizabeth J. Bell
University of Mississippi Medical Center
Labs
Not provided
Education
- 1993
M.D., Ophthalmology
University of Wisconsin–Madison
- 1989
B.S., Biology
University of Wisconsin–Madison
Awards & honors
- Retina Research Foundation Emmett A. Humble Distinguished Di…
- Sandra Lemke Trout Chair in Eye Research, McPherson Eye Rese…
- American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering Fe…
- 2009 UK-US Stem Cell Collaboration Development Award
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