Abstract
Age-related macular degeneration and retinitis pigmentosa are two leading causes of irreversible blindness characterized by photoreceptor loss. Cell transplantation may be one of the most promising approaches of retinal repair. However, several problems hinder the success of retinal regeneration, including cell delivery and survival, limited cell integration and incomplete cell differentiation. Recent studies show that polymer scaffolds can address these three problems. This article reviews the current literature on synthetic polymer scaffolds used for stem cell transplantation, especially retinal progenitor cells. The advantages and disadvantages of different polymer scaffolds, the role of different surface modifications on cell attachment and differentiation, and controlled drug delivery are discussed. The development of material and surface modification techniques is vital in making cell transplantation a clinical success.
Highlights
Photoreceptor loss causes irreversible blindness in many retinal degenerative diseases
The limited integration of grafted cells is another problem. This is in large partly due to the barrier formed by inhibitory extracellular matrix (ECM) and cell adhesion molecules associated with reactive gliosis after degeneration or injury [4,5,6]
We have shown that PLGA/PLLA scaffolds improved the survival of retinal progenitor cells (RPCs) in different retinal degenerative models, promoted differentiation of RPCs and provided physical guidance, resulting in a more normal anatomical organization [1,46]
Summary
Photoreceptor loss causes irreversible blindness in many retinal degenerative diseases. As the inner retinal circuitry remains intact, transplantation of cells to the degenerative retina is one of the most promising approaches of retinal repair. A number of problems need to be solved, such as more precise cell delivery and enhanced cell survival, robust cell integration and controlled cell differentiation, before the success of cell replacement can be realized. Recent studies show that the seeding of cells onto polymer scaffolds can address these three problems
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