Image of monkey retinas showing the difference between geneticallymatched (lower pictures) and unmatched eye stem cells. Researchers have found that eye stem cells can be transplanted between different individuals, which could help treatment of age-related macular degeneration and other eye conditions in humans. RIKEN LAB PHOTO
IN research that may have positive implications for treating age-related eye diseases in humans, researchers in Japan have successfully transplanted retinal pigment cells derived from the stem cells of one monkey into the eyes of other monkeys without rejection, and without the need for anti-rejection drugs, according to a study published in Stem Cell Reports.