Several vertebrates have the ability to regenerate but newts are the only animals with the ability to regenerate lens throughout their entire adult lives. Regeneration of the newt lens occurs by transdifferentiation of the pigment epithelial cells (PECs) at the tip of the dorsal iris. These cells dedifferentiate to form a vesicle, which in turn differentiates to form the lost lens.

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We would like to know what the switches are that turn on the cell cycle of these cells, as well as the molecules involved in the unique process of dedifferentiation, where cells loose their characteristic of origin and become "embryonic-like". Another approach is to determine if the ventral iris has a negative regulator that inhibits the process all together. Pinpointing these molecular switches could provide the tools to reprogram higher vertebrate cells and eventually induce regeneration. The ultimate goal is to use the obtained knowledge to aid in the understanding and cure of human eye diseases such as cataracts.