title: Cellular strategies for retinal repair by photoreceptor replacement.
abstract: Loss of photoreceptors due to retinal degeneration is a major cause of blindness in the developed world. While no effective treatment is currently available, cell replacement therapy, using pluripotent stem cell-derived photoreceptor precursor cells, may be a feasible future treatment. Recent reports have demonstrated rescue of visual function following the transplantation of immature photoreceptors and we have seen major advances in our ability to generate transplantation-competent donor cells from stem cell sources. Moreover, we are beginning to realise the possibilities of using endogenous populations of cells from within the retina itself to mediate retinal repair. Here, we present a review of our current understanding of endogenous repair mechanisms together with recent progress in the use of both ocular and pluripotent stem cells for the treatment of photoreceptor loss. We consider how our understanding of retinal development has underpinned many of the recent major advances in translation and moved us closer to the goal of restoring vision by cellular means.
authors: Gene and Cell Therapy Group, Department of Genetics, UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, 11-43 Bath St, London EC1V 9EL, UK.
authors: Sujatha A
authors: SA
authors: Jayakody
authors: Gene and Cell Therapy Group, Department of Genetics, UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, 11-43 Bath St, London EC1V 9EL, UK.
authors: Anai
authors: A
authors: Gonzalez-Cordero
authors: Gene and Cell Therapy Group, Department of Genetics, UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, 11-43 Bath St, London EC1V 9EL, UK; NIHR Biomedical Research Centre at Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, City Road, London EC1V 2PD, UK.
authors: Robin R
authors: RR
authors: Ali
authors: Gene and Cell Therapy Group, Department of Genetics, UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, 11-43 Bath St, London EC1V 9EL, UK. Electronic address: rachael.pearson@ucl.ac.uk.
authors: Rachael A
authors: RA
authors: Pearson
mesh_terms: D001766:Blindness / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D053595:Embryonic Stem Cells / Q000637:transplantation; D006801:Humans; D020419:Photoreceptor Cells, Vertebrate / Q000637:transplantation*; D039904:Pluripotent Stem Cells / Q000637:transplantation; D012162:Retinal Degeneration / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy*; D033581:Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000379:methods*
keywords: Development; Photoreceptor; Regeneration; Retina; Stem cells; Transplantation