TY - JOUR
T1 - Utilizing stem cell-derived RPE cells as a therapeutic intervention for age-related macular degeneration
AU - Westenskow, Peter D.
AU - Kurihara, Toshihide
AU - Friedlander, Martin
N1 - Funding Information:
We wish to warmly thank all members of the Friedlander lab and our collaborators. Work discussed in this chapter was supported by generous funding to PDW, a Ruth Kirschstein Fellow (NEI EY021416), to TK (Manpei Suzuki Diabetes Foundation and The Japan Society for the Promotion of Science Postdoctoral Fellowships for Research Abroad), and to MF from the NEI (EY11254; EY017540), the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM TR1–01219), the Lowy Medical Research Foundation (the MacTel Project), and the Rasmussen Foundation.
Publisher Copyright:
© Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2014.
PY - 2014
Y1 - 2014
N2 - Purpose Degeneration or dysfunction of the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) can induce secondary photoreceptor atrophy and catastrophic vision loss in patients with agerelated macular degeneration (AMD). AMD is the leading cause of vision loss in the elderly in industrialized countries and no cure exists for the “dry” or atrophic form to date. However, recent pre-clinical data from several groups suggests that embryonic stem cell-derived RPE cell transplantation may prevent photoreceptor degeneration in animal models of RPE degeneration. Another approach may be to derive RPE cells from autologous induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) reprogrammed from dermal tissue. However, the safety of this approach has been questioned on several levels. In this chapter we will summarize work reported by several groups, including our own, that clearly demonstrate that transplanted RPE cells can provide anatomical and functional photoreceptor rescue in animal models of retinal degeneration. We will also discuss some of the prevailing concerns and challenges associated with this technique.
AB - Purpose Degeneration or dysfunction of the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) can induce secondary photoreceptor atrophy and catastrophic vision loss in patients with agerelated macular degeneration (AMD). AMD is the leading cause of vision loss in the elderly in industrialized countries and no cure exists for the “dry” or atrophic form to date. However, recent pre-clinical data from several groups suggests that embryonic stem cell-derived RPE cell transplantation may prevent photoreceptor degeneration in animal models of RPE degeneration. Another approach may be to derive RPE cells from autologous induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) reprogrammed from dermal tissue. However, the safety of this approach has been questioned on several levels. In this chapter we will summarize work reported by several groups, including our own, that clearly demonstrate that transplanted RPE cells can provide anatomical and functional photoreceptor rescue in animal models of retinal degeneration. We will also discuss some of the prevailing concerns and challenges associated with this technique.
KW - AMD
KW - Cell-based therapy
KW - RPE
KW - Stem cell biology
KW - Translational medicine
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U2 - 10.1007/978-1-4614-3209-8_41
DO - 10.1007/978-1-4614-3209-8_41
M3 - Article
C2 - 24664714
AN - SCOPUS:84904792198
SN - 0065-2598
VL - 801
SP - 323
EP - 329
JO - Advances in experimental medicine and biology
JF - Advances in experimental medicine and biology
ER -