Retina Grown In Lab from Human Stem Cells

Human Retina Developed From Genetically  Reprogrammed Human Stem Cells



Retina grown from human stem cells

In new findings listing John Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore published the creation of immature retina in dish from human stem cells. It is believed to be sensitive to lights that mean the cultured retina is sensing the light. That simply means one day in future this development will helps us to restore our vision.

Retinal cells are a type of photoreceptor which respond to lights. This is the first step of converting light in to images. Simply this photoreceptive retinal cell can be compared with the CMOS sensor of your digital camera. The researchers developed a 3D compliment of human retinal tissue in their lab. Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS), which are adult cells that have been genetically reprogrammed back to their most primitive state. Such cells are capable of developing into most of the 200 cell types in the human body, the team explains, and for their latest study, they were able to turn them into retinal progenitor cells that form light-sensitive retinal tissue lining the back of the eye.

In the experiment, the cells growth resembles the fetus growth in stage and duration. When the cells growth period attained 28 week equivalent, the researchers tested the cell for its photo sensitivity to check whether these cells can sense and transform the light to visual signals. The team tested the retinas by putting an electrode into a single photoreceptor cell and sending a pulse of light to the cell. This reacted in a biochemical pattern similar to the behavior of photoreceptor in humans exposed to light.

It is true that a stem cell cannot grow completely into a retinal cell by their own , but this experiment show at least what they can do. We hope someday we can use this research to lighten the life of many.