Stem Cell Therapies For Retinal Disorders Are A Sight For Sore Eyes
Duke-NUS Medical School, the Singapore Eye Research Institute, and the Karolinska Institute do one such study. This preclinical study has produced significant vision recovery in a trial using stem cells to form light-detecting or photoreceptor cells in the eye.
In this study, the researchers introduced a human retina-specific protein called LN523 to cultivate human embryonic stem cells. This protein has been reported to be enriched in the retina and brain, suggesting that it might help to create an ideal retinal environment, facilitating the differentiation of pluripotent stem cells into photoreceptor cells.
The study results showed that introducing LN523 into the retinal matrix led to the differentiation of embryonic stem cells into photoreceptor progenitors within 32 days of culture. Furthermore, the researchers found that the embryonic stem cell-derived photoreceptor progenitor cells could engraft in the genetic retina degeneration rodent model and rabbits with a degenerated retina. This means these stem cells can live in mouse and rabbit retinal matrixes, allowing them to create more photoreceptor cells and replace those lost to degeneration.
This indicates that the retina-specific laminin-based, LN523, photoreceptor differentiation method could be a safe avenue for treating retinal degenerative conditions. Ultimately, such progress may enable the discovery of alternative therapies for individuals suffering from retinal degenerative diseases.
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