In this episode of The Stem Cell Report, Martin Pera is joined by three experts on the eye, its development, and disease processes.  Dr. Mark Humayun is the Director of the Institute for Biomedical Therapeutics and Co-Director of the Roski Eye Institute at the University of Southern California.  Dr. Anand Swaroop is a Senior Investigator in the Neurobiology, Neurodegeneration and Repair Laboratory at the National Eye Institute, and Dr. Masayo Takahashi is a pioneer in iPS-based approaches to treat eye disease and the President of Vision Care Inc., a venture that will focus on cell-based treatments for macular degeneration and other eye diseases. Today’s guests will talk about their respective research and where the field of regenerative medicine for eye disease currently stands and where it is headed. Articles from the guests can be found below in the “Supporting Docs” as is the Virtual Collection of eye-focused papers recently published in Stem Cell Reports. 

Guests
Mark Humayun, MD, PhD, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, USA
Anand Swaroop, PhD, National Institutes of Health, USA
Masayo Takahashi, MD, PhD, Vision Care Inc., Japan

Host
Martin Pera, PhD – Editor-in-Chief, Stem Cell Reports and The Jackson Laboratory
Twitter: @martinperaJAX

Supporting Documents

• Survival of an HLA-mismatched, bioengineered RPE implant in dry age-related macular degeneration, Stem Cell Reports 
• Gene therapy of dominant CRX-Leber Congenital Amaurosis using patient derived Retinal Organoids, Stem Cell Reports 
• Stem cells in translation: Eye disease, Stem Cell Reports Virtual Collection 

 About Stem Cell Reports
Stem Cell Reports is the Open Access journal of the International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) for communicating basic discoveries in stem cell research, in addition to translational and clinical studies. Stem Cell Reports focuses on original research with conceptual or practical advances that are of broad interest to stem cell biologists and clinicians.
Twitter: @StemCellReports

About ISSCR
With nearly 4,000 members from more than 65 countries, the International Society for Stem Cell Research is the preeminent global, cross-disciplinary, science-based organization dedicated to stem cell research and its translation to the clinic. The ISSCR mission is to promote excellence in stem cell science and applications to human health.
Twitter: @ISSCR

Acknowledgements

ISSCR Staff
Keith Alm, Chief Executive Officer
Yvonne Fisher, Managing Editor, Stem Cell Reports
Kym Kilbourne, Director of Media and Strategic Communications
Jack Mosher, Scientific Advisor

Voice Work
Ben Snitkoff

Music
@Konovalov