Scientists have identified never seen in human eyes that can help in potentially caused vision loss due to common diseases, such as macular degeneration,
Researchers discovered cells in the retina, a light-sensitive structure behind the eye that is important for vision. The cells were found in donated samples of fetal tissue.
Scientists also identified similar cells in the laboratory-developed models of the human retina-and when they tried to transplant those models into mice with a normal eye disorder, it restored the sight of rodents.
“This research not only deepens our understanding of retinal biology, but also has immense ability to carry forward medical intervention in RD (retinal degeneration) diseases,” the researchers wrote in a paper describing the findings, describing the conclusions, which was published in the journal on 26 March. Science translation therapy,
Connected: Scientists restore monkey vision with patch made of human stem cells
Retina Detects the light and converts it into signals Brain Then to determine it can explain what we are seeing. Retinal fall There is a major cause of blindness around the world. This can be triggered by many things, including Aging, diabetes And Physical injuryAnd degeneration can give rise to common eye diseases, such as spotted degeneration and Reninitis pigmentosa,
Current treatment for these conditions mainly focus on reducing the rate on which retina cells deteriorate, and protect people who are still healthy. However, there are currently no effective treatment Retina repairWhich will effectively reverse the decline.
There is a possible solution Change deteriorating cells with Stem cell – Cells that can mature to form any type of cell in the body in the right conditions. Nevertheless, so far, scientists have not found suitable stem cells in the human retina to achieve it, the authors of the new study have written.
In new research, the team analyzed the activity of cells in the labs of the fetus retina. Scientists discovered two types of retinal stem cells with promising regenerative properties: cells like HNRSCs (HNRSCs) and retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) stem.
Researchers found that both types of cells, which were located on the outer edge of the retina, could clone themselves. However, only HNRSCs can only convert to other types of retinal cells under the correct conditions.
In a different experiment, researchers developed short replicas of human retina in Petri recipes. These 3D tissue models that are known as organoidsMimit unique complications of better human organs Traditional animal model to do.
An analysis of cells within these organs showed that they were similar to the HNRSC found in the fetal tissue samples. The team also identified specific molecular chains of events that converted stem cells into other retinal cells and regulated the repair process.
When retinitis is transplanted into the retina of mice with a disease similar to pigmentosa, stem cells from organoids turned into retinal cells required to detect and process light signals. These new retinal cells eventually improved the sight of mice, compared with rodents that did not receive any transplanted cells. This effect was seen up to 24 weeks for the duration of the experiment.
Together, these initial findings show that HNRSCs can be used to develop new remedies for retinal eye disorders in humans. But to restore human vision will require more research to confirm the ability of these cells.
