Biomedical engineers at Duke University have used induced pluripotent stem cells to grow the specialized blood vessel cells found in the retina for the first time, offering fresh hope to people living with vision loss.
When the lab-grown cells were injected into mice with retinal disease, they integrated into the damaged tissue, regenerated blood vessels, and restored retinal function, including in a model of diabetic retinopathy, the leading cause of vision loss in working-age people.
"Using human stem cells, we generated the cells found in retinal blood vessels, paving the way for new therapeutic approaches," said one of the researchers, Esswein, whose team also grew the cells into functional retinal vascular tissue in a lab-grown environment.
The cells worked especially well as a preventative treatment: when injected before vision loss occurred, they helped the mice develop strong, well-formed blood vessels. Because the technique can produce a continuous, lab-grown supply of these cells rather than relying on limited natural sources, it could eventually make treatment easier and cheaper to access.
The research is still in the animal-testing stage, and the team has a patent pending covering both the therapy and its use in drug discovery. They are now exploring partnerships to bring the work closer to people.
