Kobe Municipal Medical Center Central Municipal Hospital collaborated with Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University iPS Cell Research Institute, and Institute of Physical and Chemical Research to "suspend allogeneic iPS cell-derived retinal pigment epithelial cells for exudative age-related macular degeneration. "Clinical research on fluid transplantation" was advanced, and it was announced that transplantation surgery was performed on March 1 for the first subject this time.The subject is a male in his 3s living in Hyogo prefecture.
In this operation, a fluid containing 25 retinal pigment epithelial cells (RPE cells) prepared based on iPS cells for regenerative medicine provided by the Center for iPS Cell Research and Application (CiRA), Kyoto University, is placed under the retina of the right eye. It was transplanted into the cavity.The surgery was performed by a team of 6 people, including the surgeon, Director of Ophthalmology, Kurimoto.It was completed as planned in about an hour.
Age-related macular degeneration is a disease in which the function of the macula declines with age for various reasons.In exudative age-related macular degeneration, plasma components exude or bleed from abnormally formed blood vessels.RIKEN and Kobe City Medical Center General Hospital have already conducted "autologous iPS cell-derived retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) sheet transplantation" using the patient's own cells (autologous cells) for women in their 70s in 2015. doing.
The biggest feature of this clinical study is the use of allogeneic iPS cells (iPS cells of others) that are combined with the immune type (HLA).The cost and time required for cell production, which was a problem for autologous cells, can be significantly reduced.In addition, although there is concern about immune rejection in cells derived from others, it is expected that the combined use of HLA will suppress the immune response and allow safe transplantation.