Human-derived stem cells can spontaneously form the tissue that develops into the part of the eye that allows us to see
. . . according to a study published by Cell Press in the 5th anniversary issue of the journal Cell Stem Cell. Transplantation of this 3D tissue in the future could help patients with visual impairments see clearly.
“This is an important milestone for a new generation of regenerative medicine,” says senior study author Yoshiki Sasai of the RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology. “Our approach opens a new avenue to the use of human stem cell-derived complex tissues for therapy, as well as for other medical studies related to pathogenesis and drug discovery.”
During development, light-sensitive tissue lining the back of the eye, called the retina, forms from a structure known as the optic cup. In the new study, this structure spontaneously emerged from human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) — cells derived from human embryos that are capable of developing into a variety of tissues — thanks to the cell culture methods optimized by Sasai and his team.
The hESC-derived cells formed the correct 3D shape and the two layers of the optic cup, including a layer containing a large number of light-responsive cells called photoreceptors. Because retinal degeneration primarily results from damage to these cells, the hESC-derived tissue could be ideal transplantation material.
via Science Daily
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