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Updated: Oct 20, 2025

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Human retinal model systems: Strengths, weaknesses, and future directions.

Kiara C Eldred1, Thomas A Reh1

  • 1Department of Biological Structure, Institute for Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA.

Developmental Biology
|September 16, 2021
PubMed
Summary

Human retinal models are crucial for studying vision development and disease, especially since early human retinal development is inaccessible. New model systems offer insights and advance regenerative therapies for vision loss.

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Developmental Biology
  • Ophthalmology

Background:

  • The human retina is a complex neuronal structure essential for vision.
  • Primate retina features, like the macula and cell diversity, are unique and not replicated in other animal models.
  • Studying early human retinal development in vivo is challenging due to its occurrence during gestation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review and compare various human retinal model systems.
  • To discuss the strengths, weaknesses, and future potential of these models.
  • To highlight their role in understanding human retinal development and disease, and in advancing regenerative medicine.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing literature on human retinal model systems.
  • Analysis of different models: dissociated primary tissue, explanted primary tissue, retinospheres, and stem cell-derived retinal organoids.
Keywords:
Cell cultureDevelopmentDissociated retinaExplantGanglion cellHumanOrganoidPhotoreceptorRetinaRetinosphereStem cells

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  • Evaluation of each model's utility for studying retinal development, disease, and therapeutic strategies.

    • Main Results:

    • Different human retinal models offer varying advantages for specific research questions.
    • Stem cell-derived retinal organoids show significant promise for recapitulating human retinal development.
    • Each model system has limitations that need to be considered for experimental design.

    Conclusions:

    • Human retinal model systems are indispensable for overcoming challenges in studying retinal development and disease.
    • Advances in retinal tissue culturing are paving the way for effective regenerative therapies.
    • Continued development and refinement of these models are essential for future progress in vision science.