Mouse retinal progenitor cell dynamics on electrospun poly (ϵ-caprolactone).

Age-related macular degeneration, retinitis pigmentosa and glaucoma are among the many retinal degenerative diseases where retinal cell death leads to irreversible vision loss and blindness. Working toward a cell-replacement-based therapy for such diseases, a number of research groups have recently evaluated the feasibility of using retinal progenitor cells (RPCs) cultured and transplanted on biodegradable polymer substrates to replace damaged retinal tissue. Appropriate polymer substrate design is essential to providing a three-dimensional environment that can facilitate cell adhesion, proliferation and post-transplantation migration into the host environment.