A stem cell therapy that restores mice moves closer to being tested in patients with end-stage retinal degeneration, this is according to the study published January 10. The researchers of the Stem Cell Reports showed that retinal tissue derived from mouse induced pluripotent stem cells. This then established connections with neighboring cells and responded to light stimulation after transplantation into the host retina.
Half of the mice with end-stage retinal degeneration restored its visual function. Senior study author Masayo Takahashi of the RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology said that their study provides proof that the concept for transplanting stem cell-derived retinal tissues to treat patients with advanced retinitis pigmentosa.
He added that they are planning to proceed with more clinical trials after several more studies. End-stage retinal degeneration is a preeminent cause of irreversible vision loss and blindness in older individuals. There is no current available cure for end-stage retinal degeneration. Current therapies available has limited ability to prevent the progression of vision loss.
In patients who are blind from outer retinal degeneration one of the strategy being used is cell replacement. Takahashi and her team show how the stem cell therapy works when transplanted into animals with end-stage retinal degeneration. The stem cell-derived retinal tissues could develop to form structured outer nuclear layers consisting of mature photoreceptors when transplanted into animals with end-stage retinal degeneration.
However, until now it is not clear that whether transplantation of these cells could restore visual function. According to the Science Daily, Takashi cautioned that stem cell therapy is still a developing-stage therapy, and one cannot expect to restore practical vision at the moment. She added that in the meanwhile they will start from the stage wherein subject will be seeing a light or large figure. Furthermore, hope to restore more substantial vision in the future.
According to CNN, Professor Pete Coffey of University College London is conducting a new therapy that restores vision to the blind, through the London Project to Cure Blindness. Coffey also believes that there could be cured using stem cell therapy to further research and study it might be possible to regenerate cells in the body itself. With the stem cell therapy transplant can no longer be the option.
