Neural Regeneration Research ›› 2024, Vol. 19 ›› Issue (4): 807-810.doi: 10.4103/1673-5374.381494

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Cell replacement with stem cell-derived retinal ganglion cells from different protocols

Ziming Luo1, *, Kun-Che Chang2, 3, *   

  1. 1Spencer Center for Vision Research, Byers Eye Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA, USA; 2Department of Ophthalmology, Louis J. Fox Center for Vision Restoration, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; 3Department of Neurobiology, Center of Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
  • Online:2024-04-15 Published:2023-09-15
  • Contact: Ziming Luo, MD, PhD, luozm@stanford.edu; Kun-Che Chang, PhD, kcchang@pitt.edu.
  • Supported by:
    This work was supported by NIH Core Grants P30-EY008098, the Eye and Ear Foundation of Pittsburgh, and unrestricted grants from Research to Prevent Blindness, New York, NY, USA (to KCC).

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Abstract: Glaucoma, characterized by a degenerative loss of retinal ganglion cells, is the second leading cause of blindness worldwide. There is currently no cure for vision loss in glaucoma because retinal ganglion cells do not regenerate and are not replaced after injury. Human stem cell-derived retinal ganglion cell transplant is a potential therapeutic strategy for retinal ganglion cell degenerative diseases. In this review, we first discuss a 2D protocol for retinal ganglion cell differentiation from human stem cell culture, including a rapid protocol that can generate retinal ganglion cells in less than two weeks and focus on their transplantation outcomes. Next, we discuss using 3D retinal organoids for retinal ganglion cell transplantation, comparing cell suspensions and clusters. This review provides insight into current knowledge on human stem cell-derived retinal ganglion cell differentiation and transplantation, with an impact on the field of regenerative medicine and especially retinal ganglion cell degenerative diseases such as glaucoma and other optic neuropathies.

Key words: cell clumps, cell suspension, cell transplantation, differentiation, direct-induced protocol, glaucoma, optic neuropathy, regenerative medicine, retinal ganglion cell, retinal organoids, stem cells