Award winner discusses potential of retinal organoids
In a new guest blog post, Owen Jones, winner of the Amsbio 2024 ISSCR Travel Grant, reflects on his work developing and applying human stem cell–derived retinal organoid models for disease research and therapeutic discovery. Amsbio (Oxford, UK) is delighted to have played a supporting role in Jones’ scientific endeavors.
Robust and biologically relevant models are essential for understanding human disease. Millions of people worldwide are affected by retinal disease, many of which remain untreatable and impose a heavy burden on quality of life and healthcare systems. This highlights the urgent need for advanced modeling systems that can inform the development of new therapies.
In his introduction to retinal organoids, Jones explains how 3D organoids derived from human stem cells overcome the limitations of animal models, which often fail to recapitulate human biology due to species-specific differences, and surpass traditional 2D cultures by capturing the intricacy of multicellular tissue architecture. Retinal organoids mimic key stages of human retinal development, making them highly relevant for studying disease mechanisms.
Jones discusses how retinal organoids offer powerful disease-modeling capabilities and the promise of stem cell-derived retinal cell replacement therapies for treating sight loss resulting from retinal degeneration.
About Amsbio
Now part of the Europa Biosite group of companies, AMS Biotechnology (Amsbio) is recognized as a leading transatlantic company contributing to the acceleration of discovery through the provision of cutting-edge life science technology, products and services for R&D in the medical, nutrition, cosmetics and energy industries. Amsbio has in-depth expertise in extracellular matrices (ECMs) to provide elegant solutions for studying cell motility, migration, invasion and proliferation. This expertise in cell culture and the ECM allows Amsbio to partner with clients in tailoring cell systems to enhance organoid and spheroid screening outcomes using a variety of 3D culture systems, including organ-on-a-chip microfluidics. For drug discovery research, Amsbio offers assays, recombinant proteins and cell lines. Drawing upon a huge and comprehensive biorepository, Amsbio is widely recognized as a leading provider of high-quality tissue specimens (including custom procurement) from both human and animal tissues. The company provides unique clinical-grade products for stem cells and cell therapy applications. This includes GMP cryopreservation technology and high-quality solutions for viral delivery.