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Lookup NU author(s): Zerti Zerti, Professor Evelyne SernagorORCiD, Professor Lyle ArmstrongORCiD, Professor Majlinda LakoORCiD, Dr Gerrit HilgenORCiD
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).
© 2025 The Author(s). The FEBS Journal published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Federation of European Biochemical Societies.In recent decades, numerous research groups have focused on restoring visual function through the transplantation of stem cells into animal models of retinal neurodegeneration. Significant advancements in surgical techniques, the maturation of donor cells, and the production of cell suspensions, along with ensuring proper synaptic connectivity with the host environment, are key considerations for the potential implementation of this strategy in clinical practice. In this review, we summarize the latest progress in the transplantation of stem cell-derived photoreceptors, emphasizing the outcomes related to visual function observed in the used animal models. Additionally, we analyze the various methods of stem cell differentiation and the surgical techniques selected for transplanting these photoreceptor precursors. Finally, we report on functional assessments from recent studies to highlight the considerable potential of stem cell-derived photoreceptor transplants as a therapeutic approach for retinal degenerative diseases.
Author(s): Zerti D, Dorgau B, Sernagor E, Armstrong L, Lako M, Hilgen G
Publication type: Review
Publication status: Published
Journal: FEBS Journal
Year: 2025
Pages: epub ahead of print
Online publication date: 10/05/2025
Acceptance date: 24/04/2025
ISSN (print): 1742-464X
ISSN (electronic): 1742-4658
Publisher: John Wiley and Sons Inc
URL: https://doi.org/10.1111/febs.70127
DOI: 10.1111/febs.70127
