Retinal Progenitor Cell Xenografts to the Pig Retina

Abstract
The major diseases of the retina, including retinitis pigmentosa, age-related macular degeneration, and diabetic retinopathy, are quite heterogeneous with respect to etiology, pathology, and demographics, yet have in common the unifying feature of neuronal loss. As in the brain and spinal cord, loss of neurons in the retina is permanent, and there are at present no restorative treatments available for these conditions. One approach to neuronal repopulation that has been actively investigated is the transplantation of embryonic or fetal retinal tissue. Achieving widespread functional integration of transplanted retinal tissue in the diseased retina has proved to be elusive1; however, neural progenitor cells have recently demonstrated considerable potential as an alternative to fetal tissue in the setting of transplantation.

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