Researchers were able to restore light vision to mice using stem cells.
A new study reveals the fact that scientists were able to restore vision in mice which suffered from eye diseases which thought to lead to irreversible vision loss. They were able to restore the mice’s vision by using stem cells.
Researchers were able to grow retina tissue in a lab using the versatile stem cells. They managed to successfully transplant the tissue into the mice which had the end-stage retinal degeneration disease. After the completion of the procedure on a number of mice, 40 percent were able to see light in the following period.
This experiment marks the first time that researchers were able to transplant cells with the capacity to sense light, more specifically, the light receptors on the retina, were able to connect to the mice’s nervous systems and transmit the light signals to its brain.
The study detailing the experiment was published in the journal Stem Cell Reports by a team of researchers led by Dr. Michiko Mandai, the lead author of the paper and deputy project leader at RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology in Japan.
The researchers plan to continue their work and eventually improve the operation by increasing the number of connections between the cells located in the degenerated retina and the transplant of stem cells. The increased number of connection would allow the mice to see larger figures and movement besides light.
The findings of the study offer a promising future for the 15 million people in the US or the 170 million worldwide which suffered age-related retinal degeneration. However, further research is required even before the scientists attempt human trials.
For their study, the researchers were able to convert skin cells collected from an adult mouse into induced pluripotent stem cells. Afterward, they converted the stem cells into the retinal tissue which was transplanted into the mice.
To determine the results of the experiment, the researchers used a shuttle avoidance test. It involved a box which insulated both sound and light and had two chambers separated by a wall featuring a small opening to allow the mice to move between the rooms. The researchers trained the mice to respond to a shock and light signal and move to the other room. After a period, they removed the shock stimulant, only leaving the light. If the mice still followed the trained behavior than it means that they saw the light.
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