Date:

January 12, 2017

Source:

Buck Institute for Research on Aging

Summary:

One of the challenges in developing stem cell therapies is ensuring that transplanted cells can survive long enough to work. Researchers report one of the first demonstrations of long-term vision restoration in blind mice by transplanting photoreceptors derived from human stem cells and blocking the immune response that causes transplanted cells to be rejected. The findings support a path to improving clinical applications in restoring human vision lost to degenerative eye diseases.