A team of researchers from the University of Wisconsin has managed to grow different types of retina cells from two types of stem cells.

They succeeded in harvesting retinal cells from embryonic stem cells, but also from induced pluripotent stem (iPS cells), in other words stem cells that can become specialized cells.

Researchers David Gamm and Jason Meyer announced their breakthrough in the August 24 edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science. According to Gamm, this is an important step forward, confirming that retinal cells can be derived from skin cells and showing that the process is very similar to normal human retinal development.

In normal human development, embryonic stem cells start differentiating into more specialized cell types on the fifth day after fertilization. The retina develops from a group of cells that appear in the earliest stages of the developing nervous system. The Wisconsin team took skin cells, made them into cells resembling embryonic stem cells, and then programmed them so they would develop into retina cells.

This discovery should help researchers better understand the development of the retina and also help treat genetically linked eye conditions. They also hope that one day they can repair retinal damage by growing restorative cells from the patient’s own skin.

Source:
Scientific Frontline