Clem Jones Centre for Regenerative Medicine

Advancing a stem cell therapy for macular degeneration

Age-related macular degeneration is the leading cause of visual impairment and blindness. With an ageing population, the number of people living with this disease will increase. 

AMD is however recognised as a disease that is highly amenable to cell therapy. Notably, a stem cell therapy for AMD is considered one of the most viable applications of stem cells in the field of regenerative medicine. 

A team at the Centre is developing a therapy for dry AMD, involving the regeneration of retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells from stem cells and safely transplanting these into the eye. 

New methodology has also been developed allowing for the production of photoreceptors from stem cells which can be transplanted into patients suffering late-stage AMD, with a view to restoring vision.

_{A section of a rat retina showing the different cell layers, with photoreceptors in bright green integrated with the retinal pigment epithelial cells in red (photo Davinia Beaver).}

Retinal diseases, degeneration and advanced therapies

Teams at the Centre are investigating diseases most commonly known to cause blindness, including AMD, diabetic retinopathy and glaucoma. 

Using advanced experimental techniques, specialist imaging and electrophysiology, researchers are focussing on the complex steps that determine the death of critical nerve cells, and have identified a number of promising protective strategies to enhance their survival.