AsianScientist (Jul. 6, 2016) – Researchers in Japan have developed a 2D culture system that mimics the development of the whole eye. They achieved this by using human induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells, which, much like embryonic cells, can develop into any kind of cell in the body.
Results of this study, published in Nature, may one day facilitate the development of techniques to reconstruct the cornea, as well as other portions of the eye.
Corneal transplantation with donor corneas is one way to treat serious corneal epithelium diseases that lead to blindness. However, this approach is hampered by rejection and a shortage of donors.
As a solution, the researchers, led by Professor Kohji Nishida and Endowed Associate Professor Ryuhei Hayashi from the Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, set out to develop a technique to induce human iPS cells to differentiate into corneal epithelial cells. These cells may then be isolated to create a functional corneal epithelium.
Unlike past studies that only described techniques to generate the posterior part of the eye (the retina, the pigmented epithelium of the retina, etc.), this study describes a technique capable of generating both the anterior (the cornea, lens, etc.) and the posterior parts of the eye at the same time.
Called ‘self-formed ectodermal autonomous multi-zone,’ or SEAM, the culture system consists of four concentric zones of cells. Major groups of cells that comprise the eye during development are produced at specific locations in the SEAM.
By isolating corneal epithelial progenitor cells from the third zone of the SEAM, the researchers successfully generated a functional corneal epithelium. In an experimentally-induced animal model of corneal blindness, the cells successfully led to a recovery of vision, suggesting the therapeutic potential of this research.
The article can be found at: Hayashi et al. (2016) Co-ordinated Ocular Development from hiPSCs and Recovery of Corneal Function.
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Source: Osaka University; Photo: Shutterstock.
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