Tissue engineering the retinal ganglion cell nerve fiber layer

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Regenerative Medicine
• Biomaterials Engineering

Background:

• Retinal degenerative diseases like glaucoma and macular degeneration cause blindness by leading to retinal cell death.
• Current cell transplantation therapies face challenges in guiding axons of transplanted cells to the optic nerve for brain connection.

Purpose of the Study:

• To create and evaluate a biodegradable electrospun scaffold for directing retinal ganglion cell (RGC) axon growth.
• To assess the scaffold's impact on RGC survival, electrophysiological properties, and axon alignment.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a biodegradable electrospun scaffold designed for radial axon guidance.
• Culturing and transplantation of RGCs onto the scaffold and retinal explants.
• Analysis of RGC survival, electrophysiological properties, and axon projection patterns.

Main Results:

• The scaffold significantly increased RGC survival without altering electrophysiological properties.
• 81% of RGCs projected axons radially along the scaffold fibers, mimicking native retinal nerve fiber layer alignment.
• RGCs on scaffolds exhibited radial growth on retinal explants, unlike randomly growing cells transplanted directly.

Conclusions:

• The developed electrospun scaffold effectively directs RGC axon growth and enhances cell survival.
• This scaffold represents a promising cell delivery device for cell transplant therapies targeting glaucoma and other retinal degenerative diseases.