University:
Western Sydney University
Course:
MEDI 2003 | Clinical Sciences 2
Academic year:

2024
Views:

347

Pages:

1
Author:

Mariam A.

Lens and cataract-induced blindness         Accommodative ability is lost, leading to an inability to focus. Severity: o Low vision: ~82 million globally, ~180, 000 Australians. o Blind: ~20 million globally, ~62, 000 Australians. Current treatment involves surgery. o Lens replacement surgery. o Laser surgery. Pluripotent stem cell-derived ‘lentoids’. o Disorganised LECs and fibre cells. o Express lens markers (Pax6, α-crystallin, γ-crystallin). o Reduce non-lens cells and control lens fibre cell production. Lentoids allow investigation of lens and cataract development. 1st degree cataract: o Model functional lens generation in vitro. o Able to be self-contained, arrange correctly and focus light. 2nd degree cataract: o Cells need to survive, migrate, proliferate and differentiate. o Chemical screening assesses effects on the above events through an LEC-based assay. Culturing stem cells in vitro (research at UWS): o Biopsy lens during appropriate time of embryonic development. o Tear posterior capsule and remove lens fibres. o Remove equatorial cells. o Culture in vitreous fluid.