Human stem cells repair macular hole in monkey

New research published in Stem Cell Reports has described the successful repair of a monkey’s macular hole using human stem cells.

Following transplantation of a sheet of cells derived from human embryonic stem cells, the macular hole was closed through continuous filling of the space with retinal tissue.

Michiko Mandai, of Kobe City Eye Hospital, shared that the results suggest the method could be a safe and effective treatment option, particularly for difficult macular hole cases.

“We confirmed for the first time in a non-human primate model that embryonic stem-derived retinal organoid sheet transplantation facilitates the closure of macular holes,” she said.

The transplanted stem cell tissue survived the grafting process and matured to produce photoreceptors. Additional experiments carried out by the researchers revealed improvements in eye fixation and response to light following the transplant.

However, there were mild symptoms of transplant rejection, which were controlled with steroids.

“The mild rejection may have limited the functional integration of the transplanted tissue,” Mandai explained.

She added that a macular hole in a monkey does not exactly replicate the pathology of a human macular hole.

“However, the findings suggest that the surgical technique is feasible for human macular holes,” she highlighted.