Stem Cells Hold Promise in Treating Retinal Degeneration
A portion of the research being supported by the NFCTR involves the use of adult stem cells in the regenerative repair of previously untreatable conditions. According to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), nearly 25% of the national GDP will be devoted to healthcare by 2040. The majority of those projected costs are for “the treatment of diseases that arise from tissue failure commonly seen in the elderly.” Regenerative medicine therapies will help combat diseases in the elderly such as diabetes, osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease and macular degeneration.
From a recent University of Louisville press release:
A team of University of Louisville scientists, including NFCTR-funded Dr. Suzanne Ildstad, have discovered that stem cells taken from bone marrow can restore damaged retinal tissue by generating new cells. This is the first known study where stem cells derived from bone marrow have been used to restore the pigmented cell layer just outside the retina or the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE).
The research moves science a step closer to helping those who suffer from vision loss and blindness due to age-related macular degeneration and hereditary retinal degenerations.
Age-related macular degeneration affects 10 percent to 20 percent of people over the age of 65 years old and is the leading cause of blindness in seniors. Hereditary retinal degeneration, another leading cause of blindness, typically involves an onset of night blindness, an early loss of peripheral vision and late loss of central vision.
According to researcher Suzanne Ildstad, “More research is needed to optimize the outcome and potential for repair of damaged retinal pigment epithelium. A combination with up-to-date tissue engineering might be critical for ultimate success.”
UofL Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences researcher Henry Kaplan is now expanding this research in conjunction with the Swine Institute at the University of Missouri. Kaplan says pigs have more optical similarities to humans.
“After learning more about how bone-marrow derived stem cells can help regenerate retinal pigment epithelium in swine, we hope to translate our research into the clinical setting,” Kaplan said.
This research has implications for a number of chronic diseases, including congestive heart failure, diabetes, osteoporosis, Alzheimer and Parkinson diseases, spinal cord injuries, age-related macular degeneration and hereditary retinal degenerations.
The study, published recently in the Archives of Ophthalmology, is available online at archopht.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/short/127/4/563.
Archives of Ophthalmology Vol. 127 No. 4, April 2009
Synopsis:
Stem Cells as Tools in Regenerative Therapy for Retinal Degeneration
Volker Enzmann, PhD; Esma Yolcu, PhD; Henry J. Kaplan, MD; Suzanne T. Ildstad, MD
Objective To describe the use of stem cells (SCs) for regeneration of retinal degenerations. Regenerative medicine intends to provide therapies for severe injuries or chronic diseases where endogenous repair does not sufficiently restore the tissue. Pluripotent Stem Cells, with their capacity to give rise to specialized cells, are the most promising candidates for clinical application. Despite encouraging results, a combination with up-to-date tissue engineering might be critical for ultimate success.
Design The focus is on the use of SCs for regeneration of retinal degenerations. Cell populations include embryonic, neural, and bone marrow–derived SCs, and engineered grafts will also be described.
Results Experimental approaches have successfully replaced damaged photoreceptors and retinal pigment epithelium using endogenous and exogenous Stem Cells.
Conclusions Stem cells have the potential to significantly impact retinal regeneration. A combination with bioengineering may bear even greater promise. However, ethical and scientific issues have yet to be solved.
Author Affiliations: Department of Ophthalmology, Inselspital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland (Dr Enzmann); Institute for Cellular Therapeutics (Drs Yolcu and Ildstad) and Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences (Dr Kaplan), University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky.
