Restoration of visual function in advanced disease after transplantation of purified human pluripotent stem cell-derived cone photoreceptors.

ABSTRACT: Age-related macular degeneration and other macular diseases result in the loss of light-sensing cone photoreceptors, causing irreversible sight impairment. Photoreceptor replacement may restore vision by transplanting healthy cells, which must form new synaptic connections with the recipient retina. Despite recent advances, convincing evidence of functional connectivity arising from transplanted human cone photoreceptors in advanced retinal degeneration is lacking. Here, we show restoration of visual function after transplantation of purified human pluripotent stem cell-derived cones into a mouse model of advanced degeneration. Transplanted human cones elaborate nascent outer segments and make putative synapses with recipient murine bipolar cells (BCs), which themselves undergo significant

SUBMITTER: Ribeiro J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8065177 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature