Posters
Presentation Type
Poster
Discipline Track
Translational Science
Abstract Type
Research/Clinical
Abstract
Retinal pigmented epithelium (RPE) cells are located between the choroid and photoreceptors within the eye and are essential to provide nutrients from blood to rods and cones, as well retinoids of the visual cycle. Vision loss and various ocular diseases are attributable to the degeneration or dysfunction of the RPE cells, leading to blindness.One of the major ocular problem from RPE dysfunction is macular degeneration. Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) can be frequently diagnosed in patients over the age of 60. In the early stages of AMD, some symptoms may not be noticeable but will lead to vision loss in both eyes. Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) can be derived from somatic cells and have been used in regenerative medicine, replacing cells that have been lost or damaged. iPSC culture can be derived from a ‘patient-match’ because these cells come from blood or skin cells. I plan to study how RPE cells can be protected from hypoxia, hyperglycemia, and pro-inflammatory conditions. Results from this will provide important information on the molecular pathway on RPE survival under different pathological conditions. Our long-term goal is to investigate how to protect RPE from dysfunction due to aging and explore a novel approach to preserve stem cell derived RPE for transplantation in AMD to restore vision and prevent vision loss.
Academic/Professional Position
Staff
Academic/Professional Position (Other)
MS
Mentor/PI Department
Molecular Science
Recommended Citation
Valdez, Laura, "Stem Cell Technology for Age Related Macular Degeneration Intervention" (2023). Research Symposium. 91.
https://scholarworks.utrgv.edu/somrs/theme1/posters/91
Included in
Cell Biology Commons, Ophthalmology Commons, Optometry Commons
Stem Cell Technology for Age Related Macular Degeneration Intervention
Retinal pigmented epithelium (RPE) cells are located between the choroid and photoreceptors within the eye and are essential to provide nutrients from blood to rods and cones, as well retinoids of the visual cycle. Vision loss and various ocular diseases are attributable to the degeneration or dysfunction of the RPE cells, leading to blindness.One of the major ocular problem from RPE dysfunction is macular degeneration. Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) can be frequently diagnosed in patients over the age of 60. In the early stages of AMD, some symptoms may not be noticeable but will lead to vision loss in both eyes. Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) can be derived from somatic cells and have been used in regenerative medicine, replacing cells that have been lost or damaged. iPSC culture can be derived from a ‘patient-match’ because these cells come from blood or skin cells. I plan to study how RPE cells can be protected from hypoxia, hyperglycemia, and pro-inflammatory conditions. Results from this will provide important information on the molecular pathway on RPE survival under different pathological conditions. Our long-term goal is to investigate how to protect RPE from dysfunction due to aging and explore a novel approach to preserve stem cell derived RPE for transplantation in AMD to restore vision and prevent vision loss.