{
  "abstract": "Retinal degeneration is characterized by progressive photoreceptor (PR) loss, leading to visual impairment and ultimately blindness. PR replacement is a promising therapeutic strategy, but surgical delivery remains challenging, and efficacy in primates remains unknown. Tissue scaffolds hold potential for better control over cell delivery and distribution. Here, we delivered a scaffold, loaded with human embryonic stem-cell-derived PR precursors (PRPs), to the subretinal space of a non-human primate (NHP) and monitored donor PR survival and morphology in vivo. A substantial fraction of donor PRs survived for 20-weeks, with neurite extension by week 7 and some morphological elongation by week 17. Immunolabeling confirmed donor PR survival at 20 weeks with expression of key phototransduction and ribbon proteins, and some donor PRs forming putative synapses with host bipolar cells (BCs), including midget BCs. These findings suggest that scaffold-mediated PR replacement holds promise for restoring high acuity foveal vision.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Vision Science Graduate Group, Herbert Wertheim School of Optometry & Vision Science & Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA.",
    "Center for Visual Science, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA.",
    "Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA; McPherson Eye Research Institute, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA; Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA.",
    "Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA; McPherson Eye Research Institute, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA.",
    "Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA.",
    "McPherson Eye Research Institute, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA; Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA; Wisconsin Institute for Discovery, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA.",
    "Center for Visual Science, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA; University of Rochester Hajim School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Rochester, NY, USA.",
    "Center for Visual Science, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA; Flaum Eye Institute, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, USA.",
    "Center for Visual Science, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA; Vision Science Graduate Group, Herbert Wertheim School of Optometry & Vision Science & Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA.",
    "National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.",
    "Flaum Eye Institute, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, USA.",
    "Vision Science Graduate Group, Herbert Wertheim School of Optometry & Vision Science & Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA. Electronic address: tputhussery@berkeley.edu.",
    "Center for Visual Science, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA; Flaum Eye Institute, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, USA. Electronic address: jmcgrego@ur.rochester.edu."
  ],
  "article_type": null,
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 23,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Laura Patak"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Soumaya Belhadj"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2
      ],
      "name": "Agustin Luz-Madrigal"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        3
      ],
      "name": "Praveen Joseph Susaimanickam",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-1567-1312"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Jennifer M LaPorta"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        4
      ],
      "name": "Tsung-Han Tsai"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        5
      ],
      "name": "Ruosen Xie"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Jacqueline Gayet"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        6
      ],
      "name": "Hector C Baez"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "William S Fischer"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        7
      ],
      "name": "Rachel Hollar"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        8
      ],
      "name": "Nathaniel Foley"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Andrea L Campbell"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        5
      ],
      "name": "Shaoqin Gong"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        4
      ],
      "name": "Zhenqiang Ma"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        9
      ],
      "name": "Arvydas Maminishkis"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        9
      ],
      "name": "Kapil Bharti"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        9
      ],
      "name": "Juan Amaral"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        10
      ],
      "name": "Vamsi K Gullapalli"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        10
      ],
      "name": "David A DiLoreto"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2
      ],
      "name": "David M Gamm"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        11
      ],
      "name": "Teresa Puthussery"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        12
      ],
      "name": "Juliette E McGregor"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/ara1xx9m9csxy.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.1016/j.stemcr.2026.103079",
  "fulltext_url": "https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13681418",
  "id": "ara1xx9m9csxy",
  "issns": [
    "2213-6711"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42868989",
  "language": "eng",
  "licence": "CC-BY-NC-ND",
  "licence_label": "CC BY-NC-ND",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "openalex",
      "1312|Retinal Development and Disorders"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7221618518",
  "pdf_url": "https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13681418?pdf=render",
  "pmcid": "PMC13681418",
  "pmid": "42868989",
  "published": "2026-10-01",
  "publisher": null,
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/ara1xx9m9csxy.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:19:16Z",
      "native_id": "MED:42868989",
      "source": "europepmc",
      "url": "https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42868989"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "biochemistry",
      "origin": "openalex:1312|Retinal Development and Disorders",
      "subfield": "molecular-biology"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Photoreceptor replacement therapy using a tissue scaffold shows evidence of donor-host integration in non-human primate retina.",
  "title_text": "Photoreceptor replacement therapy using a tissue scaffold shows evidence of donor-host integration in non-human primate retina.",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:19:16Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/ara1xx9m9csxy",
  "venue": "Stem cell reports",
  "versions": []
}