Background:

Glaucoma, a characteristic type of optic nerve degeneration in the posterior pole of the eye, is a common cause of irreversible vision loss and the second leading cause of blindness worldwide. As an optic neuropathy, glaucoma is identified by increasing degeneration of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs), with consequential vision loss. Current treatments only postpone the development of retinal degeneration, and there are as yet no treatments available for this disability. Recent studies have shown that replacing lost or damaged RGCs with healthy RGCs or RGC precursors, supported by appropriately designed bio-material scaffolds, could facilitate the development and enhancement of connections to ganglion cells and optic nerve axons. The consequence may be an improved retinal regeneration. This technique could also offer the possibility for retinal regeneration in treating other forms of optic nerve ailments through RGC replacement.

Methods:

In this brief review, we describe the innovations and recent developments in retinal regenerative medicine such as retinal organoids and gene therapy which are specific to glaucoma treatment and focus on the selection of appropriate bio-engineering principles, biomaterials and cell therapies that are presently employed in this growing research area.

Results:

Identification of optimal sources of cells, improving cell survival, functional integration upon transplantation, and developing techniques to deliver cells into the retinal space without provoking immune responses are the main challenges in retinal cell replacement therapies.

Conclusion:

The restoration of visual function in glaucoma patients by the RGC replacement therapies requires appropriate protocols and biotechnology methods. Tissue-engineered scaffolds, the generation of retinal organoids, and gene therapy may help to overcome some of the challenges in the generation of clinically safe RGCs.

中文翻译：

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视网膜组织生物工程、治疗青光眼的材料和方法。

 背景：

青光眼是眼睛后极视神经变性的一种特征类型，是不可逆视力丧失的常见原因，也是全球失明的第二大原因。作为一种视神经病变，青光眼的特征是视网膜神经节细胞 (RGC) 退化加剧，从而导致视力丧失。目前的治疗方法只能延缓视网膜变性的发展，而且还没有针对这种残疾的治疗方法。最近的研究表明，在适当设计的生物材料支架的支持下，用健康的 RGC 或 RGC 前体替代丢失或受损的 RGC，可以促进神经节细胞和视神经轴突连接的发展和增强。结果可能是改善视网膜再生。该技术还可以通过 RGC 替代治疗其他形式的视神经疾病，为视网膜再生提供可能性。

 方法：

在这篇简短的综述中，我们描述了视网膜再生医学的创新和最新发展，例如针对青光眼治疗的视网膜类器官和基因治疗，并重点介绍了目前用于治疗青光眼的适当生物工程原理、生物材料和细胞疗法的选择。这个不断发展的研究领域。

 结果：

识别最佳细胞来源、提高细胞存活率、移植后的功能整合以及开发将细胞输送到视网膜间隙而不引起免疫反应的技术是视网膜细胞替代疗法的主要挑战。

 结论：

通过 RGC 替代疗法恢复青光眼患者的视功能需要适当的方案和生物技术方法。组织工程支架、视网膜类器官的生成和基因治疗可能有助于克服生成临床安全的 RGC 的一些挑战。