Human Retina Developed From Genetically Reprogrammed Human Stem Cells
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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.
Retina Grown In Lab from Human Stem Cells
3:56 PM
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