In Vitro Human Nerve Cell Model May Help Develop Treatments for Vision Disorders

Vision loss and blindness are caused by dysfunction and death of retinal ganglion cells, a type of specialized nerve cells located within the retina that transmit visual signals from the eye to the brain. For the first time, scientists at Johns Hopkins University have developed human retinal ganglion cells from human pluripotent stem cells using a gene modification/genome editing tool. This in vitro, human optic nerve-like cell model can be used to study optic nerve development, gene regulation, neuronal function, and survival to better understand human neuronal biology. It may also serve as a powerful model for the development of therapeutic drugs and transplant therapies for patients affected by vision disorders such as glaucoma, multiple sclerosis, and diabetic retinopathy.