Scientists have long suspected that stem cells could restore vision in mammals. Researchers in Japan have confirmed that is the case thanks to a recent stem cell trial. They have managed to successfully restore vision in mice with end-stage eye disease — a condition that normally causes permanent vision loss.
Believing that stem cells could restore vision, the Japanese scientists began growing retina tissue in a laboratory, using stem cells. This tissue was then transplanted into mice who had retinal degeneration. Over 40 percent of the mice were able to see light again after the procedure.
This is the first time that scientists have been able to transplant retinal light receptors, making it an incredible breakthrough. Retina light receptor cells are responsible for detecting light and translating it into electrical signals that the brain can understand. These cells can be affected by various degenerative conditions.
One of the project leaders, Dr. Michiko Mandai, said the team was very exciting with the breakthrough: “We were at first very excited to see that the transplants do robustly respond to light.”
Eventually, the scientists hope to increase the connections between the transplanted cells and the surround tissue, which would allow the subjects to see movement and focus on large objects.
The retina is responsible for translating light and passing signals onto the brain. When a person has retinal degeneration, these cells begin to die off, leading to vision loss or blindness. Age-related macular degeneration is one of the most well known forms of retinal degeneration, affecting millions of people worldwide.
The researchers first took skin cells from the mice, before converting them into induced pluripotent stem cells. The stem cells were then converted into retinal cells before being transplanted into the mice. The scientists then ran tests to determine how well each mouse could see. These positive findings give scientists hope that stem cells could restore vision in humans in the future.
Source: Stem Cells Could Restore Vision after Eye Disease
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