Researchers use stem cells to cultivate new retinal tissues in the laboratory, and then transplant these tissues into mice at the end of retinal degeneration. Researchers say that more than 40% of mice have gained the ability to see light through this process.
The researchers said that this is the first time that researchers have successfully transplanted photoreceptor cells, that is, photoreceptor cells in the retina, so these cells are connected to the host's nervous system and send signals to the host's brain. [10 technology that will change your life]
"At first, we were very excited to see that transplantation really responded strongly to light," said Dr. Michiko Mandai, the first author of the paper and deputy project director of Japanese RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology. Mandai said that researchers hope to eventually increase the link between host degenerated retinal cells and stem cell transplantation. Mandai said that this can not only let the mouse see the light, but also see a big figure or action.
Retina is a layer of tissue at the back of the eye, which can really perceive light and transmit signals to the brain, where it processes information and perceives images. Mander said that in individuals with retinal degeneration, photoreceptor cells are gradually lost, eventually leading to complete blindness. Age-related macular degeneration is the most common type of retinal degeneration, affecting about 654.38+0.5 billion people in the United States and about 654.38+0.7 billion people worldwide. In the study of KDSP, KDSP, KDSP and KDSP, the researchers transformed adult mouse skin cells into mouse induced pluripotent stem cells (IPSC). Subsequently, scientists transformed these stem cells into retinal tissue and transplanted them into mice at the end of retinal degeneration.
Researchers use the so-called shuttle avoidance test to determine whether mice can see light. The test consists of an acousto-optic isolation box with two chambers separated by a wall with a small opening, allowing mice to move between the two chambers.
A mouse was placed in a box and trained to recognize that the simultaneous beep and light signal was a warning of electric shock. Moving the mouse to another room can avoid electric shock. In this study, once rats were trained to avoid electric shock, only lights (not buzzes) were used as warnings to test whether rats could see the lights. [Five experts answer: What is the best way to protect your eyesight? ]
In the experiment, after retinal transplantation, 4 of the 10 mice with binocular transplantation and 5 of the 1 1 mice with monocular transplantation responded to light signals. The researchers published an article in the journal Stem Cell Report yesterday (65438+ 10/0), saying:
It is not clear whether this new technology can be applied to humans, and there may be a long way to go to test this technology. The researchers said in a statement that one aspect of human health needs to be considered is that although experimental mice can respond to light one month after retinal transplantation, human retina takes longer to mature. Therefore, they say, it may take five to six months for human transplanted retinas to begin to respond to light.
In addition, scientists say they need to test whether the same program is applicable to humans.
"From a clinical point of view, although we think these results are very promising, human eyes may have different environments from mice. Whether they accept retinal transplantation and whether they establish contact with transplantation remains to be tested. Only in human research can we get the answer.
Originally published in