Researchers have successfully transplanted human microglia cells into mouse retina to create a model that could be used to test new treatments for incurable eye diseases.
, is described by the editors as an important study with solid data demonstrating the potential for microglial replacement therapy to treat retinal and central nervous system diseases.of the central nervous system, which includes the retina, and play essential roles in the normal development of nerves and nerve connections .
"Our understanding of microglia function comes predominantly from rodent studies due to the difficulty of sourcingand isolating the microglia from these tissues. But there are genetic and functional differences between microglia in mice and humans, so these studies may not accurately represent many human conditions," says lead author Wenxin Ma, a Ph.D. Biologist at the Retinal Neurophysiology Section, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, US..
First, they used a drug to eliminate the existing population of microglial cells, and then they transplanted the new, labeled cells in their place. At four and eight months after transplantation, the human microglial cells had migrated into the retina and were well distributed, and behaving as microglia should—responding to chemical signals within the eye. Moreover, the introduction of hiPSC-microglia cells had no negative effects on the surrounding cells of the retina.
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