The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Retina repair by stem cells a reality: experts

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Friday, Jan 16, 2009
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Retina repair by stem cells a reality: experts

Y. Mallikarjun

HYDERABAD: In an interesting finding that holds the potential to be replicated in humans, stem cell therapy in animals has regenerated degenerative retina, which is responsible for major types of blindness, including glaucoma.

Following the promising studies carried out by scientists at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, USA, the prestigious L.V. Prasad Eye Institute (LVEPI) here is planning to collaborate with the institution to conduct research to see if ocular surface cells could be converted into retinal cells. The proposal for collaborative work would be put up before the ethics committee soon to start the lab phase work, said Geeta Vemuganti, head of pathology and stem cell research, LVPEI. Talking to The Hindu here on the sidelines of an international conference on Ophthalmology here Thursday, Professor Iqbal Ahmed of the University of Nebraska Medical Center said they had discovered that a particular cell in retina, called Mullerglia, had stem cell property, the self-renewing ability.

“We can repair the retina by treating the disease from within if we can activate these cells,” he added.

After growing the cells in tissue culture and transplanting them, it was found that they could be converted into photo-receptor cell line which was crucial for repairing retina. Prof. Ahmed’s team had also successfully carried out a similar experiment with limbus stem cells. He said that a large population that suffers from “blinding diseases” caused by retinal degeneration could be helped by stem cell approach. Age-related macular degeneration and retina pigmentosa are other diseases caused by retinal degeneration.

Jean Bennett from the University of Pennyslvania had used gene therapy—initially in dogs and later in nine humans (aged from 8 to 26 years)-- to reverse blindness. She said the vision improved significantly within two weeks among humans. The LVEPI is screening patients for the defective gene to carry out similar therapy.

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