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Eye's Cubes

Scaffold-supported stem cells grown and transplantable into the retina in a biodegradable tray

10 June 2021

Eye's Cubes

Sweeping a curve at the back of our eyes, the retina helps to capture light, studded with tiny photoreceptors which act like pixels in a camera sensor, but are often lost with age or disease leading to blindness. Here, researchers grow human stem cells inside an 'ice cube tray' design – an artificial scaffold where the cells change into retinal pigment epithelium cells and knit together in multiple layers – mimicking the healthy outer layers of the retina. Researchers hope to transplant these scaffolds into damaged eyes, letting the biodegradable trays crumble away while leaving a densely-packed bed of healthy cells behind to restore vision. Modified versions of these biocompatible scaffolds, built using a process called photolithography, may help in restoring or maintaining the function of other tissues, too.

Written by John Ankers

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BPoD stands for Biomedical Picture of the Day. Managed by the MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences until Jul 2023, it is now run independently by a dedicated team of scientists and writers. The website aims to engage everyone, young and old, in the wonders of biology, and its influence on medicine. The ever-growing archive of more than 4000 research images documents over a decade of progress. Explore the collection and see what you discover. Images are kindly provided for inclusion on this website through the generosity of scientists across the globe.

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