Researchers at the University of Louisville have discovered that stem cells extracted from bone marrow can restore damaged retinal tissue by generating new cells.
The findings are an important step toward helping people who experience vision loss and blindness as a result of age-related macular degeneration and hereditary retinal degeneration, the university said in a news release.
Researchers found that stem cells removed from bone marrow were attracted to damaged retinal pigment epithelium, the pigmented cell layer just outside the retina.
?More research is needed to optimize the outcome and potential repair of damaged retinal pigment epithelium,? researcher Suzanne Ildstad said in the release.
Henry Kaplan, a researcher in the U of L Department of Opthalmology and Visual Sciences, is expanding the research in conjunction with the Swine Institute at the University of Missouri, the release said. Research will be conducted on pigs because of their optical similarities to humans.
Success in curing optical defects might also lead to bone marrow stem cells being used to treat congestive heart failure, diabetes, osteoporosis, Alzheimer and Parkinson diseases and spinal cord injuries, the release said.
The U of L study:
Stem Cells as Tools in Regenerative Therapy for Retinal Degeneration
Volker Enzmann, PhD; Esma Yolcu, PhD; Henry J. Kaplan, MD; Suzanne T. Ildstad, MD
Arch Ophthalmol. 2009;127(4):563-571.
Objective To describe the use of stem cells (SCs) for regeneration of retinal degenerations. Regenerative medicine intends to provide therapies for severe injuries or chronic diseases where endogenous repair does not sufficiently restore the tissue. Pluripotent SCs, with their capacity to give rise to specialized cells, are the most promising candidates for clinical application. Despite encouraging results, a combination with up-to-date tissue engineering might be critical for ultimate success.
Design The focus is on the use of SCs for regeneration of retinal degenerations. Cell populations include embryonic, neural, and bone marrow?derived SCs, and engineered grafts will also be described.
Results Experimental approaches have successfully replaced damaged photoreceptors and retinal pigment epithelium using endogenous and exogenous SCs.
Conclusions Stem cells have the potential to significantly impact retinal regeneration. A combination with bioengineering may bear even greater promise. However, ethical and scientific issues have yet to be solved.
Author Affiliations: Department of Ophthalmology, Inselspital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland (Dr Enzmann); and Institute for Cellular Therapeutics (Drs Yolcu and Ildstad) and Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences (Dr Kaplan), University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky.
The findings are an important step toward helping people who experience vision loss and blindness as a result of age-related macular degeneration and hereditary retinal degeneration, the university said in a news release.
Researchers found that stem cells removed from bone marrow were attracted to damaged retinal pigment epithelium, the pigmented cell layer just outside the retina.
?More research is needed to optimize the outcome and potential repair of damaged retinal pigment epithelium,? researcher Suzanne Ildstad said in the release.
Henry Kaplan, a researcher in the U of L Department of Opthalmology and Visual Sciences, is expanding the research in conjunction with the Swine Institute at the University of Missouri, the release said. Research will be conducted on pigs because of their optical similarities to humans.
Success in curing optical defects might also lead to bone marrow stem cells being used to treat congestive heart failure, diabetes, osteoporosis, Alzheimer and Parkinson diseases and spinal cord injuries, the release said.
The U of L study:
Stem Cells as Tools in Regenerative Therapy for Retinal Degeneration
Volker Enzmann, PhD; Esma Yolcu, PhD; Henry J. Kaplan, MD; Suzanne T. Ildstad, MD
Arch Ophthalmol. 2009;127(4):563-571.
Objective To describe the use of stem cells (SCs) for regeneration of retinal degenerations. Regenerative medicine intends to provide therapies for severe injuries or chronic diseases where endogenous repair does not sufficiently restore the tissue. Pluripotent SCs, with their capacity to give rise to specialized cells, are the most promising candidates for clinical application. Despite encouraging results, a combination with up-to-date tissue engineering might be critical for ultimate success.
Design The focus is on the use of SCs for regeneration of retinal degenerations. Cell populations include embryonic, neural, and bone marrow?derived SCs, and engineered grafts will also be described.
Results Experimental approaches have successfully replaced damaged photoreceptors and retinal pigment epithelium using endogenous and exogenous SCs.
Conclusions Stem cells have the potential to significantly impact retinal regeneration. A combination with bioengineering may bear even greater promise. However, ethical and scientific issues have yet to be solved.
Author Affiliations: Department of Ophthalmology, Inselspital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland (Dr Enzmann); and Institute for Cellular Therapeutics (Drs Yolcu and Ildstad) and Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences (Dr Kaplan), University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky.
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