常見的失明是由神經(jīng)視網(wǎng)膜上的光感受器退化所致,，修復光感受器是治療這類失明癥的最佳方法,。理論上來說，胚胎干細胞可以為患者提供光感受器,，用于恢復患者的視力,。先前的研究得出結論，人胚胎干細胞可作為生產(chǎn)光感受器的資源,。
最近華盛頓大學結構生物學系的研究科學家將來源于人類胚胎干細胞的視網(wǎng)膜祖細胞通過眼球注射注入到小鼠的眼內(nèi),，視網(wǎng)膜祖細胞會主動移行至小鼠眼睛的視網(wǎng)膜上，祖細胞在視網(wǎng)膜上逐漸適應找到適宜的環(huán)境,，并開始分化成rod和cone感光細胞（也就是光感受器）,。將這些祖細胞移植到成年Crx小鼠（利伯（氏）先天性黑曚疾病模型）的視網(wǎng)膜下間隙,，有胚胎干細胞衍生的視網(wǎng)膜祖細胞進入后開始分化成感光細胞并開始恢復小鼠對光線的感受功能。
這些結果表明,，干細胞療法可以作為治療利伯（氏）先天性黑曚疾病的有效手段,。（生物谷Bioon.com）
生物谷推薦原始出處：
Cell Stem Cell, 9 January 2009 doi:10.1016/j.stem.2008.10.015
Transplantation of Human Embryonic Stem Cell-Derived Photoreceptors Restores Some Visual Function in Crx-Deficient Mice
Deepak A. Lamba1,Juliane Gust1andThomas A. Reh1,,
1 Department of Biological Structure, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
SUMMARY
Some of the most common causes of blindness involvethe degeneration of photoreceptors in the neural retina; photoreceptor replacement therapy might restore some vision in these individuals. Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) could, in principle, provide a source of photoreceptors to repair the retina. We have previously shown that retinal progenitors can be efficiently derived from human ESCs. We now show that retinal cells derived from human ESCs will migrate into mouse retinas following intraocular injection, settle into the appropriate layers, and express markers for differentiated cells, including both rod and cone photoreceptor cells. After transplantation of the cells into the subretinal space of adult Crx/ mice (a model of Leber's Congenital Amaurosis), the hESC-derived retinal cells differentiate into functional photoreceptors and restore light responses to the animals. These results demonstrate that hESCs can, in principle, be used for photoreceptor replacement therapies.
