Award
National Eye Institute 5R01EY035092-03
Cell-based therapies for retinal degeneration
Recipient
University of Colorado Denver, Aurora, CO
Award Amount
$528,298.00
Ceiling
$528,298.00
Awarded
June 12, 2026
Identifier
5R01EY035092-03
A research project funded by the National Eye Institute to develop and test stem cell-derived 3D retinal transplants for restoring vision in patients with end-stage dry age-related macular degeneration using innovative tissue engineering and functional assessment techniques.
Description
This project addresses the NEI Audacious Goal Initiative (AGI) of restoring vision through regeneration of photoreceptor cells and their connections. The project aims to establish the feasibility and mechanisms of structural and functional integration of a novel stem cell-derived 3D retinal transplant containing photoreceptors and RPE in a minipig model of end-stage macular atrophy. It involves multimodal in vivo ocular evaluation, ex vivo assessments, and non-invasive functional imaging to determine the extent of integration, with hypotheses testing physiological interactions and synapse formation to restore vision in patients with end-stage dry-AMD.