A new report by researchers working through the National Eye Institute (NEI) Audacious Goals Initiative (AGI) provides recommendations for regenerating retinal ganglion cells (RGCs), with the aim of restoring vision in patients with glaucoma and other optic neuropathies that cause the permanent destruction of RGCs.
The report reportedly summarizes two possible therapeutic strategies for RGC regeneration. The first would use stem cells to grow RGCs, which would then be transplanted into a patient's retina. According to researchers, this method may take a lot of time and there are some challenges, such as how to store the RGCs until patients need them.
The second approach would be to recruit other cell types in a patient's retina for reprogramming into RGCs. While researchers explored additional cell types of reprogramming, the report calls for further research to better define the genetic factors and signaling pathways that promote endogenous cell reprogramming, as well as better characterization of the 30-plus types of RGCs.
The report was recently published in the journal Translational Vision Science and Technology.
Click here to read the full press release.
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Source: National Eye Institute