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Photoreceptor Cell Replacement Therapy from Stem Cells

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Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Therapy for the Eye

Part of the book series: Fundamental Biomedical Technologies ((FBMT))

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Abstract

Macular degenerations, retinitis pigmentosa, and retinal dystrophies affect millions of people worldwide. In most cases, loss of visual function results from the death of photoreceptors, the specialized cells involved in photo-transduction. An innovative and efficient therapeutic solution for retinal degenerative diseases may be photoreceptor cell transplantation. Yet, the human eye contains about one hundred million photoreceptors, and cell replacement therapy would require at least a fraction of this, raising the issue of where to find an abundant source of healthy human photoreceptors to treat patients. Human pluripotent stem cells can be expanded quasi-indefinitely and differentiate into all cell types of the human body. Methods to direct the differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells into retinal cells and photoreceptors have been developed based on developmental biology principles. Here, we review the history and evolution of these methods, looking at two-dimensional and three-dimensional cell culture systems. We also analyze the current outcomes of photoreceptor cell transplantation therapy and explore the upcoming challenges for its clinical translation.

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Acknowledgements

I would like to thank the Foundation Fighting Blindness Canada for their financial support. Special thanks to Anthony Flamier, Andrea Barabino, and Shufeng Zhou for the images and to Roy Hanna for critical reading of the text.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Stem Cell and Developmental Biology Laboratory, Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital, Montréal, QC, Canada

    Gilbert Bernier

  2. Department of Neuroscience, University of Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada

    Gilbert Bernier

  3. Department of Ophthalmology, University of Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada

    Gilbert Bernier

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  1. Gilbert Bernier
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Correspondence to Gilbert Bernier .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department Ophthalmology and Vision Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada

    Brian G. Ballios

  2. Schepens Eye Research Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA

    Michael J. Young

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Bernier, G. (2018). Photoreceptor Cell Replacement Therapy from Stem Cells. In: Ballios, B., Young, M. (eds) Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Therapy for the Eye. Fundamental Biomedical Technologies. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-98080-5_1

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