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Retinal stem cells: promising candidates for retina transplantation

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Abstract

Stem cell transplantation is widely considered as a promising therapeutic approach for photoreceptor degeneration, one of the major causes of blindness. In this review, we focus on the biology of retinal stem cells (RSCs) and progenitor cells (RPCs) isolated from fetal, postnatal, and adult animals, with emphasis on those from rodents and humans. We discuss the origin of RSCs/RPCs, the markers expressed by these cells and the conditions for the isolation, culture, and differentiation of these cells in vitro or in vivo by induction with exogenous stimulation.

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Acknowledgment

The authors thank Dusan Zencak, Pratyaksha Wirapati, and Dana Wanner for critical discussion and proofreading of the manuscript.

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  1. Unit of Gene Therapy & Stem Cell Biology, Jules-Gonin Eye Hospital, Ophthalmology Department, University of Lausanne, 15 Avenue de France, 1004, Lausanne, Switzerland

    Meta W. Djojosubroto & Yvan Arsenijevic

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  1. Meta W. Djojosubroto
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  2. Yvan Arsenijevic
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Correspondence to Yvan Arsenijevic.

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Djojosubroto, M.W., Arsenijevic, Y. Retinal stem cells: promising candidates for retina transplantation. Cell Tissue Res 331, 347–357 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00441-007-0501-8

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