Brief Lay Background
Significant numbers of people worldwide suffer from either partial or complete vision loss, often due to retinal degeneration, where certain types of cells in the retina, like photoreceptors, stop working properly and eventually die off. This degeneration can be caused by various conditions such as diabetic retinopathy, age-related macular degeneration, Usher syndrome, and Retinitis Pigmentosa.
Currently potential drugs for retinal diseases are tested on animals, but this method isn't perfect because the eyes of animals like rodents are different from human eyes. To develop better treatments, reliable and scalable lab models are needed to test these drugs. The team have made progress in this area by creating tiny eye structures called retinal organoids using special cells called pluripotent stem cells. These mini retinas not only mimic the structure of human eyes but also react to light and respond in predictable ways when exposed to different substances, including potential drugs.
What problem/knowledge gap does it help address?
Retinal organoids are tiny three-dimensional models of the retina grown from stem cells in a lab. However, they're missing important parts that we have in human retinas, such as immune cells and blood vessels. These missing components are really important for how our eyes work and fight diseases. Without them, the retinal organoids can't grow very big without dying.
The interaction between blood vessels and other cells in the retina creates something called the blood-retina barrier, which is acts as a protective shield for our eyes. When this barrier isn't working right, it can lead to eye diseases. In this proposal, the team plan to add different types of cells, such as blood vessel cells and immune cells, to the retinal organoids. By doing this, they hope to make retinal organoids that are more like real retinas. This could mean less reliance on animal testing and more accurate ways to study and treat eye diseases.
Aim of the research project
The team aims to advance retinal disease modelling and therapeutic interventions by integrating blood vessels and immune cells into retinal organoids.
Potential impact on people with sight loss
By accurately modelling the complex interactions within the human retina, including the immune system and blood vessels, these organoids offer a revolutionary platform for understanding the mechanisms behind various retinal diseases. This deeper understanding could lead to the development of more effective treatments tailored to individual patients. Furthermore, these organoids could serve as invaluable tools for drug testing in a highly relevant, human-like environment.
The ability to study disease progression and treatment responses in real-time within these organoids may enable earlier detection and intervention, ultimately preserving vision and improving quality of life for countless individuals worldwide.
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