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Researchers used stem cells to develop a human retina in a laboratory to understand how molecular change occurs. The study hopes to someday be able to treat the disorders of the vision. ( John Hopkins University )
Researchers at Johns Hopkins University in Maryland have successfully grown the human retina in a laboratory to understand how humans perceive colors.
The aim is to better understand human biology, in particular the transformation of cells into specific types responsible for certain functions. This study focuses on three cone photoreceptors or specialized cells that allow people to see red, blue and green colors.
The study was published in the journal Science.
Eyes grown in the laboratory
The research was quite special because previous studies on vision used either mice or fish. However, no animal has the same color dynamics as humans. Researchers at Johns Hopkins University have taken a step forward and created a human retina using stem cells.
According to the study, the first cells to grow were blue cells, followed by red, then green cells. Stem cells took months to develop into a complete human retina in their laboratory.
During the study, they discovered that the molecular switch occurred was based on the level of thyroid hormone, independent or not controlled by the thyroid gland. Instead, the thyroid hormone was completely controlled by an eye developed in the laboratory.
This discovery allowed researchers to manipulate the development of retinas by creating retinas that can only see blue, red or green. The effects of the level of thyroid hormones on the development of cone photoreceptors also explain why some premature babies are more likely to have vision problems.
"Our research is really trying to determine the pathways these cells take to give us that particular color vision," said Robert Johnston, a developmental biologist at Johns Hopkins University.
Lead to better treatment of vision disorders
The researchers hope that this study will pave the way for the correction of eye disorders. The next step is to use organoids or organ-specific tissues grown from stem cells to learn more about the mechanisms involved in colored visions and other parts of the retina. In particular, they also want to develop in a laboratory a new macula that can lead to the treatment of macular degeneration in the future.
"If we can determine what drives a cell to its ultimate fate, we will be closer to being able to restore color vision for people who have damaged photoreceptors," added lead author Kiara Eldred.
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