Abstract
The review intends to overview a wide range of nanostructured natural, synthetic and biological membrane implants for tissue engineering to help in retinal degenerative diseases. Herein, we discuss the transplantation strategies and the new development of material in combination with cells such as induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC), mature retinal cells, adult stem cells, retinal progenitors, fetal retinal cells, or retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) sheets, etc. to be delivered into the subretinal space. Retinitis pigmentosa and age-related macular degeneration (AMD) are the most common retinal diseases resulting in vision impairment or blindness by permanent loss in photoreceptor cells. Currently, there are no therapies that can repair permanent vision loss, and the available treatments can only delay the advancement of retinal degeneration. The delivery of cell-based nanostructure scaffolds has been presented to enrich cell survival and direct cell differentiation in a range of retinal degenerative models. In this review, we sum up the research findings on different types of nanostructure scaffolds/substrate or material-based implants, with or without cells, used to deliver into the subretinal space for retinal diseases. Though, clinical and pre-clinical trials are still needed for these transplants to be used as a clinical treatment method for retinal degeneration.
Highlights
The nanomaterials and nanometer-scale schemes provide superior control over the modifications in structure and function at the molecular and nanometer-scale length [1].The challenge in interface engineering is to control the structural and physical properties of an artificial environment to mimic the biological atmosphere within the body
Kiilgaard et al investigated that after the transplantation of Amniotic Membrane (AM) into the subretinal space there is regrowth of retinal pigmented epithelium (RPE) cells which prevents choroidal neovascularization membrane after basal membrane (BM) damage which aids as a BM substitute for the RPE [87]
It was observed that survival and differentiation of human embryonic stem cell-derived retinal pigment epithelium and human fetal RPE on aged or age-related macular degeneration (AMD) Bruch’s membrane were boosted significantly in the presence of a biologically synthesized bovine corneal endothelial cell-extracellular matrix
Summary
The nanomaterials and nanometer-scale schemes provide superior control over the modifications in structure and function at the molecular and nanometer-scale length [1]. The RPE/choroid patch translocation and suspension RPE transplantation were attempted earlier but faced numerous technical and biological challenges [2] These improvements have directed to phase I/II clinical trials in which human embryonic stem cell-derived RPE cells are transplanted in suspension subretinally for the treatment of AMD and Stargardt disease [3]. The fundamental concept is to use a scaffold on which cells are pre-cultured that supports maturation into a functional monolayer and, subsequently, the transplantation of these cell-based scaffold complexes underneath the retina Such a scaffold would facilitate a facile specific delivery and ensure the subsequent tissue-engineered scaffold compared to the prior art.
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