Function of human pluripotent stem cell-derived photoreceptor progenitors in blind mice.

ABSTRACT: Photoreceptor degeneration due to retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is a primary cause of inherited retinal blindness. Photoreceptor cell-replacement may hold the potential for repair in a completely degenerate retina by reinstating light sensitive cells to form connections that relay information to downstream retinal layers. This study assessed the therapeutic potential of photoreceptor progenitors derived from human embryonic and induced pluripotent stem cells (ESCs and iPSCs) using a protocol that is suitable for future clinical trials. ESCs and iPSCs were cultured in four specific stages under defined conditions, resulting in generation of a near-homogeneous population of photoreceptor-like progenitors. Following transplantation into mice with end-stage retinal degeneration, these cells differ

SUBMITTER: Barnea-Cramer AO 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4942817 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature