Transplanted Rod Precursor Cells Restore Vision in Experimental Mice
Studies in mouse models of night blindness have demonstrated that vision can be restored by transplanting rod precursor cells taken from mouse neonates directly into the retina of recipient animals. The University College London (UCL) Institute of Ophthalmology-led team showed that the transplanted rod cells made synaptic connections with the existing retinal circuitry, were light responsive, and generated visual signals. The transplantation built on their previous photoreceptor transplantation research, and was optimized to increase the number of cells that integrated in the retina.