Document Detail


Embryonic stem cells: potential source for ocular repair.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  15804840     Owner:  NLM     Status:  MEDLINE    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
Many ocular diseases, such as retinitis pigmentosa and age-related macular degeneration, reflect damage to specific cells that are not normally repaired or replaced. Preliminary results of animal studies suggest that these degenerative diseases may be treatable by transplantation of healthy fetal cells. However, obtaining a sufficient number of suitable donor cells remains a problem. The isolation of human embryonic stem (ES) cells has drawn much attention because of their potential clinical application for patients with these degenerative diseases. Because ES cells have the potential to generate all adult cell types, ocular diseases resulting from the failure of specific cell types would be potentially treatable through the transplantation of differentiated cells derived from ES cells. In addition, because ES cells can proliferate indefinitely in their undifferentiated state, they are expected to alleviate the problem of the shortage of donor cells for cell-replacement therapy. Recently, reproducible and efficient differentiation methods for the generation of lens cells, retinal neurons, and retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells from ES cells have been developed. This review focuses especially on these ocular cells differentiated from ES cells. We will also discuss the potential therapeutic uses of ES cells for the treatment of ocular diseases.
Authors:
Masathoshi Haruta
Publication Detail:
Type:  Journal Article; Review    
Journal Detail:
Title:  Seminars in ophthalmology     Volume:  20     ISSN:  0882-0538     ISO Abbreviation:  Semin Ophthalmol     Publication Date:    2005 Jan-Mar
Date Detail:
Created Date:  2005-04-04     Completed Date:  2005-05-24     Revised Date:  2008-11-21    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  8610759     Medline TA:  Semin Ophthalmol     Country:  United States    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  17-23     Citation Subset:  IM    
Affiliation:
Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Japan. haruta@kuhp.kyoto-u.ac.jp
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MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Animals
Cell Differentiation
Embryo, Mammalian / cytology*
Eye Diseases / therapy*
Humans
Lens, Crystalline / cytology*
Photoreceptor Cells, Vertebrate / cytology*
Pigment Epithelium of Eye / cytology*
Pluripotent Stem Cells / cytology*
Stem Cell Transplantation*

From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine


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