Made to order
Retina grown from stem cell
The stem cells formed a sac that then folded in half a couple days later forming the optic cup
Give a blob of cells the right environmentlots of nutrients, special chemical signals, and a comfy gel cushionand they just might grow you a body part. In a feat of bioengineering, scientists at the RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology in Japan have grown a retina from mouse embryonic stem cells. Remarkably, much of the development happened spontaneously, indicating that even undifferentiated cells have a blueprint in mind. Researchers hope the work will someday yield transplantable retinas for people with diseases like retinitis pigmentosa. "When I received the manuscript, I was stunned, I really was," commented human molecular geneticist Robin Ali (via Nature News). "I never though I'd see the day where you have recapitulation of development in a dish." Supported by a gel that mimics cells' natural environment, the stem cells were immersed in a bath of chemicals that directed their growth into retinal cells. Just as in normal embryonic development, over the course of about a week the cells organized themselves into a small sac that spontaneously folded itself in half to form the optic cup, a structure that consists of the retina and its supporting layer. · Researchers have been working on retina replacement for some time: transplants of retinal stem cells alone have also been studied as treatments for malfunctioning retinas. Source: Discover magazines
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