Graham Lippincott
Pronouns: He/Him
Research Mentor(s): Yannis Paulus
Research Mentor School/College/Department: Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences / Medicine
Program:
Authors: Graham Lippincott, Phuc Nguyen, Yannis Paulus
Session: Session 1: 9:00 am – 9:50 am
Poster: 95
Abstract
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and diabetic retinopathy are both major diseases that affect people across the world and are leading causes of vision loss and blindness in the world. Stem cells are emerging as promising treatments to treat advanced disease in these conditions. Recently, the Paulus Laboratory has tested how injecting stem cells can improve eyesight and prevent further degradation of the retina from diseases like AMD and diabetic retinopathy. Using In-Vivo injection of human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSC) differentiated to retinal pigment epithelial cells in albino rabbit eyes, the lab is finding new ways to prevent these diseases and help improve eyesight. Our animal models are monitored using a multimodal optical coherence tomography camera, high-resolution photoacoustic (PAM) imaging, and fluorescence imaging to track the retinal pigment epithelial cells in albino rabbits after subretinal injection. Low laser power density burns are used to replicate AMD and Diabetic Retinopathy, which were then tracked and monitored to see how the stem cells traveled and reacted with host cells over 180 days to repair these laser burns.
