Cone photoreceptors in human stem cell-derived retinal organoids demonstrate intrinsic light responses that mimic those of primate fovea.

ABSTRACT: High-definition vision in humans and nonhuman primates is initiated by cone photoreceptors located within a specialized region of the retina called the fovea. Foveal cone death is the ultimate cause of central blindness in numerous retinal dystrophies, including macular degenerative diseases. 3D retinal organoids (ROs) derived from human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) hold tremendous promise to model and treat such diseases. To achieve this goal, RO cones should elicit robust and intrinsic light-evoked electrical responses (i.e., phototransduction) akin to adult foveal cones, which has not yet been demonstrated. Here, we show strong, graded, repetitive, and wavelength-specific light-evoked responses from RO cones. The photoresponses and membrane physiology of a significant fraction of thes

SUBMITTER: Saha A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9093561 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature