Foundation supports innovative research into retinal diseases
Development of a ‘retina-on-a-chip’ platform
An important new study has been launched to offer hope to people suffering from hereditary eye diseases such as retinitis pigmentosa, Usher syndrome, macular degeneration, and Stargardt disease. Led by Dr. Jan Wijnholds of the Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC), researchers are working on a special chip on which they can mimic a piece of human retina. The project is named the “Human retina-on-a-chip platform” and aims to develop an advanced platform for studying the retina and testing candidate drugs.
What is a ‘retina-on-a-chip’?
The current research involves ‘retinas-on-a-chip’, miniature culture dishes in which human retinal tissue is grown. This allows scientists to study the retina in the laboratory and test potential treatments. However, these chips have limitations, including a lack of stability of the cultured retinas.
Picture made by Charlotte Andriessen.
Why is this research important?
In hereditary retinal diseases, cells in the retina die, eventually leading to blindness. Although there are promising treatments and gene therapies, there is a need for an improved platform to test them. Dr. Jan Wijnholds and his team are focusing on optimizing the existing ‘retina-on-a-chip’ concept.
How will Dr. Jan Wijnholds approach this?
Dr. Wijnholds will make a crucial improvement by adding retinal pigment epithelium to the ‘retinas-on-a-chip’. This pigment layer, similar to what is naturally present in the human eye, enhances the stability of the cultured retinas. However, adding functional pigment layer is a technological challenge due to the microscale at which it occurs.
What are the potential benefits?
The improved ‘retina-on-a-chip’ platform will enable researchers to more accurately mimic the human retina in the laboratory. This opens the door to a better understanding of healthy and diseased retinal cells, as well as testing new treatments. Dr. Wijnholds will also look for biomarkers, measurable indicators that indicate whether retinal cell death is occurring and how severe it is. These biomarkers can help doctors predict disease progression and measure the effectiveness of treatments.
What does this mean for the future?
Although this is fundamental research, it could lead to faster development of treatments for people with retinal diseases. The Usher Syndrome Foundation supports this two-year project with a financial contribution of €100,000, expressing its confidence in the value of this groundbreaking research. The ultimate goal is to offer hope to patients with hereditary retinal disorders by enabling more effective treatments.
