Marrow Stromal cells (MSC): A species comparison

Retinal degenerations and dystrophies are the major causes of inherited blindness in the developed world comprising a variety of disparate genetically determined conditions that differ from one another in their mode of inheritance, severity, topographic pattern of visual loss, and ophthalmoscopic appearance. Onset of most genetically inherited retinal degenerations and dystrophies usually occurs early-on in life, and thus they have a great socio-economic impact on the community. Since these retinal disorders are phenotypically heterogeneous, early clinical and molecular diagnosis is rare and as a result, no treatment methods currently exist for these conditions. Histologically, they are characterized by the apoptotic death of one subset of cells in the retina, namely the photoreceptors (Lolley et al., 1994). However, some function may still exist in the remaining retina and in the axons connecting the retina to the brain. Hence photoreceptor replacement as part of a gene or cell-based therapy may aid in the restoration of some degree of vision (Ali et al., 2000).