Eye cells could be harnessed to fight blindness: study

A type of cell found in the eye has stem cell properties and could be used within the next decade to regrow damaged retinas and restore vision, British researchers say.

Certain Muller glial cellscan migrate to the retina and morph into different retinal cells, potentially rebuilding damaged tissue, according to the study, published Wednesday in the journal Stem Cells. Retinal disease is one of the primary causes of blindness.

Researchers were able to extract the cells from deceased adult donors and develop them in vitro into all the types of neurons found in the retina. In studies on rats with diseased retinas, the grafted cells travelled to the retina and took on the characteristics of surrounding neurons.

"Muller cells with stem cell properties could potentially restore sight to someone who is losing or has lost their sight due to diseased or damaged retina," Dr. Astrid Limb, who led the study, said in a news release. "Our findings have enormous potential."

Researchers are now exploring what barriers exist in the human body that prevent the cells from regenerating.

Although the cells are present in the human eye, it's unclearwhy they already automatically repair the retina in some people but not in others. The theory is that internal mechanisms exist in the normal adult retina that prevent these cells from dividing and replicating.

Scientistsarenow looking at developing the approach for use in the human eye, which might involvethe extraction of a person's Muller glial cells, growing them in vitro and injecting them back into the eye to regrow damaged retinas.

"It may be possible to store the cells in a cell bank and transplant them into the eye or to use cells from a person's own eye," Limb said.

Because glial cells are taken from a person's own body, rather than being donated, there's less of a chance of rejection, scientists say.

Currently, one in every nine Canadians over age 65 is living with significant vision loss, according to the Canadian National Institute for the Blind. As Canada's baby boomer generation ages, that number is expected to increase dramatically over the next 10 years.