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Photoreceptor cells



Blindmicerecoveringeyesight

NineresearchersfromUniversityCollegeLondonandMoorefieldEyeHospitalinLondontookoutretinalphotoreceptorcellprecursorsfromtheeyesof3to5day-oldpups,Transplantthemintotheeyesofmiceblindedbycongenitalgeneticdefects.Theconditionoftheseblindmiceissimilartothatofhumanblindnesscausedbymaculardegeneration.

TheBritish"Guardian"saidthattheresearcherstransplantedabout500,000cellprecursorstoeacheyeoftheseblindmice.After300to1,000precursorsdevelopedintophotoreceptorcells,theyweresuccessfullyconnectedandresponsible.Theopticnervethattransmitsvisualsignals.

Indevelopedcountries,thenumberofblindnesscausedbyphotoreceptorcelldeathexceedsthetotalnumberofotherblindnesscases.Sincescientistscannotreversethedamageofphotoreceptorcells,findingsuitablereplacementcellshasbecomethemaindirectionofscientists.

Theresearchersputthemicethathadreceivedcelltransplantsintolight.Theyfoundthatthemouse'spupilsshrinkwhenexposedtolight.Atthesametime,thedetectionoftheelectricalactivityoftherat'sretinarevealedthatthetransplantedphotoreceptorcellstransmitsignalstotheopticnerve,andtheopticnerveultimatelytransmitsthesignaltothebrain'svisualcenter.Studieshavedemonstratedforthefirsttimethatthetransplantedphotoreceptorcellscanself-adjustandcommunicatewiththeopticnervetoachievenormal"communication"betweentheretinaandthevisualcenterofthebrain.

Thephotoreceptorcellstransplantedinthisstudyaremostlyrod-shapedcellsresponsibleforblackandwhiteimagevision.Theresearchteamfoundthattransplantationofmaturerod-shapedcellsandcompletelyundevelopedretinalstemcellscannotplayaroleinrepairingvision.

Brightprospects

Bringinggoodnewstothetreatmentofblindness

Expertssaythatiftheoperationissuccessfullyextendedtohumans,thentheblindwillbecausedbythedeathofphotoreceptorcells.Theblindwillbeabletoseethesunagain.

Photoreceptorcells

Retinitispigmentosacausesphotoreceptorcelldeathinonecasein3,500people.Maculardegenerationisthemaincauseofblindnessinpatientsover55yearsofage.Inaddition,thereisblindnessduetocomplicationsofdiabetes.Allthesepatientscanbenefitfromthelatestresearch.

Intheabove-mentionedmousestudy,thephotoreceptorcellprecursorsweretakenfromtheeyesofnewbornmicewithsimilargenestoreducetheriskofrejectionbytheimmunesystem.Inthisrespect,humanbeingshaveaninherentadvantage.

TheGuardiansaidthatscientistsbelievethatthisphotoreceptorcellprecursorgrowsnearthehumaniris,sothatblindpeoplecangettheprecursorfortransplantationfromthemselveswithoutworryingaboutimmunesystemrejection.RobinAli,theleaderoftheresearchteam,said:"Thesecellscanbeobtainedthroughasmalloperation,culturedinthelaboratoryandimplantedintotheretina."saidRobertMcLaren,aresearcheratMoorefieldEyeHospital"Wearenowconfidentthatthroughthisapproach(celltransplantation),wecanfindawaytohelpthousandsofblindpatientsrestoretheirvision."

Andrew,ProfessorofOphthalmology,UniversityofBristol,UK·Dickalsosaid:"Likeanybasicresearch,wemustbecarefulnottoover-proclaim.However,thisisanamazingstudy,whichmayenablehuman(photoreceptorcell)transplantationinthenearfuturetoalleviatetheblindnessofpatients.Pain."

Stillbudding

Photoreceptorcells

Manyimportanttestsareneededforhumansurgery

Onthebasisofthisresearch,Scientistshavemademanyideas.

Thekeyroleintheexperimentisthephotoreceptorcellprecursorsofnewbornmice.Inordertoobtaincellprecursors,scientistsaretryingtogrowembryonicstemcellsinlargenumbersinthelaboratoryandletthemdevelopintophotoreceptorprecursors.Inaddition,theresearchersbelievethatbyincreasingthenumberandtypesofphotoreceptorcellsusedintransplantation,recoverywillbebetter.

Previously,publishedresearchalsofoundthataftertransplantingmicewithcellsthatprovidenutrientsforphotoreceptorcells,blindnesscausedbyinsufficientnutritioncanbereversed.

Althoughtheresearchonphotoreceptorcelltransplantationhasbroughtrevolutionarybreakthroughsinophthalmictreatment,scientistssaythatsuchresearchisstillinitsinfancy,anditwilltakeatleast10yearsforhumanstoundergothistypeofsurgery.

AnandSwarup,professorofophthalmologyattheMichiganMedicalCollege,saidthattherearemanyimportanttestswaitingforscientiststocomplete,suchasdeterminingthesurvivaltimeoftransplantedcellsinmiceandwhethertheywillcauseintraoculartumors.

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