Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a common cause of blindness all over the world. Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) have been considered as a promising strategy for retinal regeneration in the treatment of DR. However, the poor viability and low levels of BMSCs engraftment limit the therapeutic potential of BMSCs. The present study aimed to examine the direct induction of BMSCs differentiation into the cell types related to retinal regeneration by using soluble cytokine ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF). We observed remarkably increased expression of cellular retinaldehyde-binding protein (CRALBP) and retinoid isomerohydrolase (RPE65) in BMSCs treated with CNTF in vitro, indicating the directional differentiation of BMSCs into the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells, which are crucial for retinal healing. In vivo, the diabetic rat model was established by use of streptozotocin (STZ), and animals treated with BMSCs+CNTF exhibited better viability and higher delivery efficiency of the transplanted cells than those treated with BMSCs injection alone. Similar to the in-vitro result, treatment with BMSCs and CNTF combined led to the differentiation of BMSCs into beneficial cells (RPE cells), and accelerated retinal healing characterized by the activation of rod photoreceptor cells and phagocytosis function of RPE cells. In conclusion, CNTF contributes to the differentiation of BMSCs into RPE cells, which may help overcome the current stem cell therapy limitations in the field of retinal regeneration.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11596-021-2329-y | DOI Listing |
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A
January 2025
Department of Biological Structure, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98125.
Retinal diseases often lead to degeneration of specific retinal cell types with currently limited therapeutic options to replace the lost neurons. Previous studies have reported that overexpression of or combinations of proneural factors in Müller glia (MG) induce regeneration of functional neurons in the adult mouse retina. Recently, we applied the same strategy in dissociated cultures of fetal human MG and although we stimulated neurogenesis from MG, our effect in 2D cultures was modest and our analysis of newborn neurons was limited.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAlzheimers Dement (Amst)
January 2025
Introduction: We explored associations between measurements of the ocular choroid microvasculature and Alzheimer's disease (AD) risk.
Methods: We measured the choroidal vasculature appearing in optical coherence tomography (OCT) scans of 69 healthy, mid-life individuals in the PREVENT Dementia cohort. The cohort was prospectively split into low-, medium-, and high-risk groups based on the presence of known risk factors (apolipoprotein E [] ε4 genotype and family history of dementia [FH]).
Adv Sci (Weinh)
January 2025
Beijing Tongren Eye Center, Beijing Key Laboratory of Intraocular Tumor Diagnosis and Treatment, Beijing Ophthalmology&Visual Sciences Key Lab, Medical Artificial Intelligence Research and Verification Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, Beijing Key Laboratory of Intelligent Diagnosis, Treatment and Prevention of Blinding Eye Diseases, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100730, China.
Retinal diseases can severely impair vision and even lead to blindness, posing significant threats to both physical and mental health. Physical retinal regenerative therapies are poised to revolutionize the treatment of various disorders associated with blindness. However, these therapies must overcome the challenges posed by the protective inner and outer blood‒retinal barriers.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInvest Ophthalmol Vis Sci
January 2025
Southwest Hospital/Southwest Eye Hospital, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing, China.
Purpose: Previous studies have reported divergent sexual responses to aging; however, specific variations in gene expression between aging males and females and their potential association with age-related retinal diseases remain unclear. This study collected data from public databases and developed a comprehensive comparison of retina between aging females and males.
Methods: Single-cell RNA (scRNA) and bulk RNA sequencing data of the aging retina from females and males in public databases were utilized for integrated analysis to investigate sex-biased expression in retina.
iScience
January 2025
Department of Ophthalmology, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan.
Ischemia and pathological angiogenesis in retinal vascular diseases cause serious vision-related problems. However, the transcriptional regulators of vascular repair remain unidentified. Thus, the factors and mechanisms involved in angiogenesis must be elucidated to develop approaches for restoring normal blood vessels.
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