Editing Zebrafish (section)

===Repairing retinal damage===
[[File:Development of the retina.tif|thumb|400px|The development of a single zebrafish retina captured on a light sheet microscope approx. every 12 hours from 1.5 days to 3.5 days after birth of the embryo]]
Another notable characteristic of the zebrafish is that it possesses four types of [[cone cell]], with [[ultraviolet]]-sensitive cells supplementing the red, green and blue cone cell subtypes found in humans. Zebrafish can thus observe a very wide spectrum of colours. The species is also studied to better understand the development of the retina; in particular, how the cone cells of the retina become arranged into the so-called 'cone mosaic'. Zebrafish, in addition to certain other [[teleost]] fish, are particularly noted for having extreme precision of cone cell arrangement.<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Allison WT, Barthel LK, Skebo KM, Takechi M, Kawamura S, Raymond PA |title=Ontogeny of cone photoreceptor mosaics in zebrafish |journal=The Journal of Comparative Neurology |volume=518 |issue=20 |pages=4182–4195 |date=October 2010 |pmid=20878782 |pmc=3376642 |doi=10.1002/cne.22447}}</ref>

This study of the zebrafish's retinal characteristics has also extrapolated into medical enquiry. In 2007, researchers at [[University College London]] grew a type of zebrafish adult [[stem cell]] found in the eyes of fish and mammals that develops into [[neuron]]s in the retina. These could be injected into the eye to treat diseases that damage retinal neurons—nearly every disease of the eye, including [[macular degeneration]], [[glaucoma]], and [[diabetes]]-related blindness. The researchers studied Müller [[glial cells]] in the eyes of humans aged from 18 months to 91 years, and were able to develop them into all types of retinal neurons. They were also able to grow them easily in the lab. The stem cells successfully migrated into diseased rats' retinas, and took on the characteristics of the surrounding neurons. The team stated that they intended to develop the same approach in humans.<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Lawrence JM, Singhal S, Bhatia B, Keegan DJ, Reh TA, Luthert PJ, Khaw PT, Limb GA |display-authors=6 |title=MIO-M1 cells and similar muller glial cell lines derived from adult human retina exhibit neural stem cell characteristics |journal=Stem Cells |volume=25 |issue=8 |pages=2033–2043 |date=August 2007 |pmid=17525239 |doi=10.1634/stemcells.2006-0724 |doi-access=free}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.chinapost.com.tw/health/eye%20health/2007/08/03/116860/Zebra-fish.htm |title=Zebra fish may point way to cure for blindness |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |date=August 3, 2007 |newspaper=[[The China Post]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120910131642/http://www.chinapost.com.tw/health/eye%20health/2007/08/03/116860/Zebra-fish.htm |archive-date=2012-09-10}}</ref>