Talks
Academic Level (Author 1)
Staff
Discipline/Specialty (Author 1)
Neuroscience
Discipline Track
Clinical Science
Abstract
The main focus of this thesis is to study induced pluripotent stem cell derived Retinal Pigmented Epithelium (RPE) cells in various physiological conditions mimicking RPE transplantation rejection. 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 proinflammatory 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.
Presentation Type
Talk
Recommended Citation
Valdez, Laura, "Stem Cell Technology for Age Related Macular Degeneration Intervention" (2023). Research Colloquium. 2.
https://scholarworks.utrgv.edu/colloquium/presentation/talks/2
Included in
Stem Cell Technology for Age Related Macular Degeneration Intervention
The main focus of this thesis is to study induced pluripotent stem cell derived Retinal Pigmented Epithelium (RPE) cells in various physiological conditions mimicking RPE transplantation rejection. 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 proinflammatory 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.