Retinal transplantation: volunteers required

Japan to perform the world's first retinal transplant operation

Ekaterina Plyasunkova, RIA Novosti

The RIKEN Institute and the hospital at the Center for Advanced Medicine in Kobe, Japan, will begin selecting patients for experimental retinal transplantation operations grown from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) of another person.

"This is an important study that will determine the type of treatment in the future," NHK quoted project manager Masae Takahashi (iPS researchers to recruit patients for study – VM). She also added that the upcoming clinical trials are "a big step towards the practical application" of the discovery.

It is reported that it is planned to select five patients in total. Such clinical trials became possible after the Japanese Ministry of Health issued the appropriate permit. During the experiment, scientists will use iPS cells of another person to grow retinal pigment epithelium cells, and then transplant them to patients with age-related macular degeneration (macular degeneration). If the tests are successful, this method will reduce the time of growing retinal cells from 11 months to one and reduce the cost of the procedure several times.

The world's first operation using iPSC was carried out in September 2014. In a 70-year–old patient with severe retinal disease - age-related macular degeneration (macular degeneration) – skin cells were taken, from which induced stem cells were grown. Retinal pigment epithelial cells were then grown from them, which were transplanted during the operation.

In 2006, Kyoto University Professor Shinya Yamanaka obtained a stem cell from an ordinary human skin cell for the first time in the world. The cells are called induced pluripotent (multifunctional) stem cells (iPS). They are able to form cells of various organs. Thus, it became possible to create tissues and organs from the cells of the patient himself instead of damaged or lost due to illness or injury. Yamanaka was awarded the Nobel Prize for this discovery in 2012.

Ten years after the discovery of iPS cells, scientists have learned how to "create" cells of different organs. The main problem hindering the use of such cells in medicine is still the high risk of developing cancer.

Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru  07.02.2017