Department of Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21287, USA; email:
Department of Ophthalmology, Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21287, USA; email:
Annu Rev Vis Sci. 2020 Sep 15;6:91-114. doi: 10.1146/annurev-vision-121219-081855.
Recent advances in stem cell engineering have led to an explosion in the use of organoids as model systems for studies in multiple biological disciplines. Together with breakthroughs in genome engineering and the various omics, organoid technology is making possible studies of human biology that were not previously feasible. For vision science, retinal organoids derived from human stem cells allow differentiating and mature human retinal cells to be studied in unprecedented detail. In this review, we examine the technologies employed to generate retinal organoids and how organoids are revolutionizing the fields of developmental and cellular biology as they pertain to the retina. Furthermore, we explore retinal organoids from a clinical standpoint, offering a new platform with which to study retinal diseases and degeneration, test prospective drugs and therapeutic strategies, and promote personalized medicine. Finally, we discuss the range of possibilities that organoids may bring to future retinal research and consider their ethical implications.
近年来，干细胞工程的进展使得类器官在多个生物学领域的研究中得到了广泛应用。与基因组工程和各种组学的突破一起，类器官技术使得以前不可行的人类生物学研究成为可能。对于视觉科学来说，源自人类干细胞的视网膜类器官使人们能够以前所未有的细节研究分化和成熟的人类视网膜细胞。在这篇综述中，我们考察了生成视网膜类器官所采用的技术，以及类器官如何在与视网膜相关的发育和细胞生物学领域引发革命。此外，我们从临床角度探讨了视网膜类器官，提供了一个新的平台，用于研究视网膜疾病和变性、测试潜在药物和治疗策略，并促进个性化医疗。最后，我们讨论了类器官可能为未来的视网膜研究带来的一系列可能性，并考虑了它们的伦理影响。
