Retinal transplantation. A treatment strategy for retinal degenerative diseases

Adv Exp Med Biol. 2006:572:367-76.

Abstract

Retinal transplantation is one among the various treatment strategies aimed to prevent and restore visual loss. Sheets of fetal retina with or without retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) are transplanted into the subretinal space. Retinal transplants have been shown to substantially improve visual responses in rat retinal degeneration models following retinal transplantation, based on behavior and electrophysiology. The transplantation effects may be influenced by several factors such as the age of the recipient at transplantation and the type of species used. Modified functional evaluation techniques permit better understanding of the physiological mechanisms underlying visual improvement in animal models.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Behavior
  • Brain / metabolism
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Electrophysiology
  • Electroretinography
  • Humans
  • Kinetics
  • Light
  • Photoreceptor Cells, Vertebrate / metabolism
  • Pigment Epithelium of Eye / metabolism
  • Rats
  • Retina / metabolism
  • Retina / transplantation*
  • Retinal Degeneration / therapy*
  • Vision, Ocular