A multidisciplinary team of researchers from the University of Southern California (USC) Roski Eye Institute, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA), and USC Viterbi School of Engineering, used stem cell-derived retinal organoids and enhanced imaging technologies to provide a better understanding of how the normal retina develops and how retinal diseases might begin, which may help in the discovery of new treatments.
The researchers reportedly live imaged the retinal organoids — which are 3D biomimetic tissue models that possess similar architecture and cellular composition to that of the retina — at various stages of development through the use of advanced imaging technologies including optical coherence tomography (OCT), hyperspectral imaging (HSpec), and fluorescence-lifetime imaging (FLIM).
Through their research, the team reportedly gained insight into the cellular metabolism and structural formation of retinal organoids by assessing developmental changes over a period of 46-151 days.
The study was recently published in the journal Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science.
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Source: USC Roski Eye Institute