Hereditary Optic Neuropathies: Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Based 2D/3D Approaches

Summary

Inherited optic neuropathies share visual impairment due to the degeneration of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) as the hallmark of the disease. This group of genetic disorders are caused by mutations in nuclear genes or in the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). An impaired mitochondrial function is the underlying mechanism of these diseases. Currently, optic neuropathies lack an effective treatment, and the implementation of induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) technology would entail a huge step forward. The generation of iPSC-derived RGCs would allow faithfully modeling these disorders, and these RGCs would represent an appealing platform for drug screening as well, paving the way for a proper therapy. Here, we review the ongoing two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) approaches based on iPSCs and their applications, taking into account the more innovative technologies, which include tissue engineering or microfluidics.

Authors García-López M, Arenas J, Gallardo ME
Journal Genes
Publication Date 2021 Jan 18;12(1)
PubMed 33477675
PubMed Central PMC7831942
DOI 10.3390/genes12010112

Research Projects

Cell Lines