Imagine being able to fix vision loss by replacing damaged parts of the eye with healthy new cells grown in a lab. Sounds futuristic? It’s actually getting closer to reality, thanks to some amazing work by scientists at the University of Wisconsin–Madison.
Growing Eye Cells in the Lab
For years, researchers have been working on growing retinal cells outside the body. The retina is the thin layer at the back of the eye that helps us see by turning light into signals our brain can understand. When those cells get damaged—by diseases like age-related macular degeneration or retinitis pigmentosa—it can lead to blindness.
Back in 2014, this team of scientists managed to create tiny, eye-like structures in the lab called organoids. These were made by reprogramming human skin cells into stem cells, which were then encouraged to grow into various types of retina cells.
The Big Question: Can They Work Together?
Recently, the scientists wanted to test something crucial: if these lab-grown cells could actually connect and work together like real retinal cells. You see, cells in the retina don’t just sit there—they pass signals along through structures called axons, and they "talk" to each other at junctions called synapses.
To find out, the team pulled apart the clusters of cells and let them try to reconnect. Then they added a special type of rabies virus that can only travel across cells if there’s a working synapse. Sure enough, the virus made its way between the cells, proving that they had indeed formed connections!
What This Means for Vision Loss
The cells that connected most often were photoreceptors, known as rods and cones—the same cells we lose in many vision-related diseases. The team also found that retinal ganglion cells (which help send visual info to the brain) were forming connections too. This gives hope for treating other conditions, like glaucoma, which damages the optic nerve.
Dr. David Gamm, who led the research, said this was the "last piece of the puzzle." Everything so far points to one exciting goal: testing these lab-grown cells in actual human trials.
“We’ve been quilting this story together in the lab, one piece at a time,” Gamm said. “It’s all leading, ultimately, to human clinical trials.”
A New Way to See the Future
This research could lead to life-changing treatments for millions of people who suffer from vision loss. And while there’s still a way to go, it’s a huge step forward.
The study was published in PNAS (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences).
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