Retinal Cell Transplants Restore Vision (11/8/2006)
Scientists from the University College London Institutes of Ophthalmology and Child Health and Moorfields Eye Hospital
transplanted retinal cells taken from newly born mice and implanted them into adult mice with genetically programmed
vision problems. The result is that the adult mice showed significant vision improvement.
The scientists removed immature retinal stem cells from mice that were three to five days old,
a stage when the mouse retina is about to be formed. The cells were then transplanted into mice that had been genetically
modified to have conditions that caused them to gradually lose there sight simulating the effects of the human
conditions etinitis pigmentosa or age-related macular degeneration.
The transplants allowed the retinal stem cells to attach themselves to the inner portion of the eye where they
connected to the existing optical nerve and retinal nerve cells.
Dr Jane Sowden, the study's leader, said: "Remarkably we found that the mature retina, previously believed
to have no capacity for repair is in fact able to support the development of new functional photoreceptors."
For this procedure to work in humans, the retinal cells would have to be taken from a fetus during the
second trimester of pregnancy, something not likely to garner any support. The scientists hope that they
can genetically alter adult stem cells to behave like the mouse retinal cells did.
Previous research performed in the US had similar
results but used retinal pigment epithelial cells derived from human embryonic stem cells. In both cases, scientists
have shown that degenerative vision problems can be repaired.
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