眼科干细胞研究的现状及进一步研究的问题

The current study, challenges and application of stem cell transplantation in ophthalmology

干细胞具有自我更新能力和多向分化潜能,能通过非对称分裂的方式产生功能和类型更为局限的前体细胞及多种细胞系,进而再生新的细胞,参与损伤组织的修复和重建,是细胞移植研究和再生医学研究的主要对象.眼是一种由多种组织细胞和神经细胞组成的感觉器官,干细胞移植治疗眼科变性性疾病具有易操作、可视性好、所需种子细胞量少和排斥反应轻的优点,在干细胞基础研究和临床研究中受到广泛关注.国内外研究团队正在进行干细胞移植治疗眼部不可逆疾病的Ⅰ、Ⅱ期临床试验,我国经WHO注册的Ⅰ期临床试验也正处于病例招募阶段,以评估干细胞移植治疗眼部疾病的疗效和安全性.目前,关于干细胞移植治疗眼部疾病的研究仍存在很多尚需解决的问题.本文中评述眼科干细胞移植研究的进展以及进一步的研究方向。

Stem cells are a group of undifferentiated cells with indefinite self-renewal and pluripotent differentiation ability.They are able to differentiate into precursor/progenitor cells and a variety of cell types and further regenerate new cells to be involved in the repair and rebuilding of injured tissue.Therefore,stem cells are becoming the major research objects in the study on tissue engineering therapy and regenerative medicine.As a sense organ composed of several kinds of neurons and other cells,eyes possesse the dominant superiority in stem cell transplantation therapy because of its good operation controllability and visuality,less demand for seed cells and low rejection after transplantation.These advantages have aroused growing interesting of the fundamental research and clinical trail in stem cell transplantation for irreversible eye diseases.Some exciting advances in the field of stem cell fundamental research,several phase Ⅰ/Ⅱ clinical trials are in progress.The patients with degenerative eye diseases for phase Ⅰ clinical trials are in recruiting in China to evaluate future curative effect and security of stem cell-based therapies.Currently,several issues in stem cell-based eye disease therapies are still pending.We discuss the updated development of stem cell-based transplantation in ophthalmology and future researching direction in order to help ophthalmological researchers to understand the concepts and research strategies.