Lab-grown retina ups transplant hopes

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Lab-grown retina ups transplant hopes

Alleyne

Edmonton Journal , Apr. 7, 2011

Eye transplants to cure blindness are a step closer after Japanese

scientists managed to " grow " a retina in the laboratory for the first time.

Researchers were amazed when stem cells in a test tube organized themselves

spontaneously into a complex structure that resembled the developing

embryonic eye. The development could lead to whole retinas being cultured

and then transplanted, restoring sight in the blind and visually impaired.

The team from the Institute of Physical and Chemical Research in Japan,

first cultivated embryonic stem cells in a test tube and then added proteins

to trigger their development. They hoped that they would form a recognizable

organ but were stunned when over 10 days they clustered together and began

to grow the " optical cup " of a retina.

Tests showed that the cells were functioning normally and were capable of

communicating with each other. The research was done on mouse eyes, but

there is no reason why a similar technique would not work on humans, said

the experts.

They hope within 10 years to be able to start clinical trials on retina

implants.

" This is an absolutely stunning achievement, " said Professor Robin Ali, an

ophthalmologist at University College London. " It is a landmark not just for

the retina but for regenerative medicine as a whole. "

The retina is the part of the eye where nerve cells convert light into

electrical and chemical signals that are sent to the brain down the optic

nerve.

If it is not working, then the eye is useless.

Yoshiki Sasai, the lead author of the study, said: " What we've been able to

do in this study is resolve a nearly century-old problem in embryology, by

showing that retinal precursors have the inherent ability to give rise to

the complex structure of the optic cup. "

The research was published in the journal Nature.