nih-gov/www.nei.nih.gov/node/3779
2025-02-26 13:17:41 -05:00

719 lines
36 KiB
Text
Raw Permalink Blame History

This file contains ambiguous Unicode characters

This file contains Unicode characters that might be confused with other characters. If you think that this is intentional, you can safely ignore this warning. Use the Escape button to reveal them.

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en" dir="ltr">
<head>
<meta charset="utf-8" />
<meta name="description" content="Three scientific teams that developed physiologically competent retinal organoid systems have won the final phase of the 3D Retinal Organoid Challenge (3D ROC)." />
<meta name="keywords" content="Retina,Regenerative Medicine" />
<meta name="google" content="vityevxlt8UuVFWvgz9_YwmJ5F0Nby_B3t54LLh-3Zw,lACaj571Gx_VdLF3HKSKUf1Wxx0H_bWxO3BYDZ_C1uw" />
<meta name="google-site-verification" content="vityevxlt8UuVFWvgz9_YwmJ5F0Nby_B3t54LLh-3Zw" />
<meta name="google-site-verification" content="lACaj571Gx_VdLF3HKSKUf1Wxx0H_bWxO3BYDZ_C1uw" />
<meta name="google-site-verification" content="UDfyeEAWNX_rJUHwog9j1kziEnByGwhkSJGLJclUWDA" />
<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0" />
<script type="application/ld+json">{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@graph": [
{
"@type": "NewsArticle",
"@id": "https://www.nei.nih.gov/about/news-and-events/news/three-teams-win-nihs-3d-retinal-organoid-challenge",
"name": "Three teams win NIHs 3D Retinal Organoid Challenge",
"headline": "Three teams win NIHs 3D Retinal Organoid Challenge",
"image": {
"@type": "ImageObject",
"representativeOfPage": "False",
"url": "https://www.nei.nih.gov/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/2022-08/D194%20CRLBP%20Rec%20DAPI2%20small.jpg?itok=INg_pCKM",
"width": "484",
"height": "303"
},
"datePublished": "2022-08-31T11:36:46-0400",
"dateModified": "2025-01-08T16:13:38-0500",
"author": {
"@type": "GovernmentOrganization",
"@id": "https://www.nei.nih.gov/about/news-and-events/news/three-teams-win-nihs-3d-retinal-organoid-challenge",
"name": "National Eye Institute",
"url": "https://www.nei.nih.gov"
},
"publisher": {
"@type": "GovernmentOrganization",
"@id": "https://www.nei.nih.gov/about/news-and-events/news/three-teams-win-nihs-3d-retinal-organoid-challenge",
"name": "National Eye Institute",
"url": "https://www.nei.nih.gov"
}
},
{
"@type": "WebPage",
"@id": "https://www.nei.nih.gov/about/news-and-events/news/three-teams-win-nihs-3d-retinal-organoid-challenge",
"breadcrumb": {
"@type": "BreadcrumbList",
"itemListElement": [
{
"@type": "ListItem",
"position": 1,
"name": "Home",
"item": "https://www.nei.nih.gov/"
},
{
"@type": "ListItem",
"position": 2,
"name": "About NEI",
"item": "https://www.nei.nih.gov/about"
},
{
"@type": "ListItem",
"position": 3,
"name": "News and Events",
"item": "https://www.nei.nih.gov/about/news-and-events"
},
{
"@type": "ListItem",
"position": 4,
"name": "NEI Research News",
"item": "https://www.nei.nih.gov/about/news-and-events/news"
},
{
"@type": "ListItem",
"position": 5,
"name": "Three teams win NIHs 3D Retinal Organoid Challenge",
"item": "https://www.nei.nih.gov/about/news-and-events/news/three-teams-win-nihs-3d-retinal-organoid-challenge"
}
]
},
"author": {
"@type": "GovernmentOrganization",
"@id": "https://www.nei.nih.gov",
"name": "National Eye Institute",
"url": "https://www.nei.nih.gov"
},
"publisher": {
"@type": "GovernmentOrganization",
"@id": "https://www.nei.nih.gov",
"name": "National Eye Institute",
"url": "https://www.nei.nih.gov"
}
}
]
}</script>
<link rel="icon" type="image/png" href="/themes/custom/nei/images/favicon.png" />
<link rel="apple-touch-icon" href="/themes/custom/nei/images/apple-touch-icon.png" />
<meta name="last-updated" content="Jan 8, 2025, 4:13:38 PM" />
<link rel="icon" href="/themes/custom/nei/favicon.ico" type="image/vnd.microsoft.icon" />
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="en" href="https://www.nei.nih.gov/about/news-and-events/news/three-teams-win-nihs-3d-retinal-organoid-challenge" />
<link rel="canonical" href="https://www.nei.nih.gov/about/news-and-events/news/three-teams-win-nihs-3d-retinal-organoid-challenge" />
<link rel="shortlink" href="https://www.nei.nih.gov/node/3779" />
<title>Three teams win NIHs 3D Retinal Organoid Challenge | National Eye Institute</title>
<link rel="preload" href="/themes/custom/nei/fonts/Aleo-Bold.woff2" as="font" type="font/woff2" crossorigin>
<link rel="preload" href="/themes/custom/nei/fonts/Lato-Regular.woff2" as="font" type="font/woff2" crossorigin>
<link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="/sites/default/files/css/css_PGSk_7b88hq2qr_--_38MLvoj1ffr9jv3JhnNJTnKUM.css?delta=0&amp;language=en&amp;theme=nei&amp;include=eJw1ytEKgCAMRuEXsnwk-dMxrOliTqi3j4iuDnycfFCprpbyHK4tDb-FRvwSshrFYvOErNhxBUHnCaYEcbJ_61Qji26Q5ZXa-QH_YCJ9" />
<link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="/themes/custom/nei/css/style.css?sraguf" />
<script type="application/json" data-drupal-selector="drupal-settings-json">{"path":{"baseUrl":"\/","pathPrefix":"","currentPath":"node\/3779","currentPathIsAdmin":false,"isFront":false,"currentLanguage":"en"},"pluralDelimiter":"\u0003","gtag":{"tagId":"","consentMode":false,"otherIds":[],"events":[],"additionalConfigInfo":[]},"suppressDeprecationErrors":true,"ajaxPageState":{"libraries":"eJxdjFsOwjAMBC8U6iNFbmKZgPNQ7BTK6SmgCsrPrndkTbhSTFa7D0OtZq-2Cil8yoWOj5WYYT8c18pC3pCBt_jfE17wfoTZCRYeyORRjPruLmhpIS-b2EvFmArD73CFErDUGeWkoadmekCb5fXVsCN3bGeF2EdDmb5kGqWNWZKeKTpd1SjDjEpuSXRTeOeUaxxCT9WYZ50","theme":"nei","theme_token":null},"ajaxTrustedUrl":{"form_action_p_pvdeGsVG5zNF_XLGPTvYSKCf43t8qZYSwcfZl2uzM":true},"gtm":{"tagId":null,"settings":{"data_layer":"dataLayer","include_classes":false,"allowlist_classes":"google\nnonGooglePixels\nnonGoogleScripts\nnonGoogleIframes","blocklist_classes":"customScripts\ncustomPixels","include_environment":false,"environment_id":"","environment_token":""},"tagIds":["GTM-TLVNS7W"]},"user":{"uid":0,"permissionsHash":"c48594e108b5c1c2bea409821b71477d5bc2724c8cae6d31f1d985af0daab85c"}}</script>
<script src="/sites/default/files/js/js_WgzMsgqb-MiW-Z2aLffGQHepZwX2hWrEHSrb46WqZrk.js?scope=header&amp;delta=0&amp;language=en&amp;theme=nei&amp;include=eJxdjEEOgCAMBD-E9kmkYrOpqdQAMerr5eBBvUx29jCp8HUKQOkZAe4wiY1B6Pj7yAsf33MNmZvuEq0nojnPmkFvCVmUYD6xDTUV3Vq9ATUbLxk"></script>
<script src="https://script.crazyegg.com/pages/scripts/0117/6571.js" async></script>
<script src="/modules/contrib/google_tag/js/gtag.js?sraguf"></script>
<script src="/modules/contrib/google_tag/js/gtm.js?sraguf"></script>
</head>
<body class="t-news_item t-node__3779 path-about-news-and-events-news-three-teams-win-nihs-3d-retinal-organoid-challenge">
<a href="#main-content" class="u-skip-link">
Skip to content
</a>
<noscript><iframe src="https://www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-TLVNS7W"
height="0" width="0" style="display:none;visibility:hidden"></iframe></noscript>
<div class="dialog-off-canvas-main-canvas" data-off-canvas-main-canvas>
<div id="u-page-outer" class="u-outer">
<div class="views-element-container site-notice-block" id="block-views-block-site-notices-block-1">
<div>
<div class="js-view-dom-id-bca3892fe522a94248c74087cbf8646ffbc018befc8d0e64978ba8c06dc01631 site-notices">
</div>
</div>
</div>
<img src="/themes/custom/nei/images/NEI-logo-tagline.svg" alt="" width="200" height="48" class="u-print-only">
<div class="r-global-header">
<div id="r-header-outer" class="r-header">
<div class="r-header-inner">
<div id="block-nei-branding" class="o-block--logo" role="banner">
<div class="o-logo">
<a href="/" class="o-logo__link" title="Home" rel="home"><span class="o-logo__text">National Eye Institute</span> <span class="o-logo__tagline">Research Today&hellip; Vision Tomorrow</span></a>
</div>
</div>
<div id="block-neimenubutton-2">
<div class="o-menu-toggle"><button class="o-menu-toggle__btn" id="menu-toggle__btn" aria-controls="block-mainnavigation" aria-expanded="true">Menu</button></div>
</div>
<div class="language-switcher-language-url has-no-translation" id="block-languageswitcher" role="navigation" aria-label="Language switcher">
<ul class="links">
<li class="is-active">
<a href="/about/news-and-events/news/three-teams-win-nihs-3d-retinal-organoid-challenge" class="language-link is-active" lang="en" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/3779" aria-current="page">English</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="/espanol/node/3779" class="language-link is-active" lang="es" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/3779" aria-current="page"> Español</a>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div class="search-global c-search--global" data-drupal-selector="search-global" id="block-globalsearchform" role="search">
<form action="/about/news-and-events/news/three-teams-win-nihs-3d-retinal-organoid-challenge" method="post" id="search-global" accept-charset="UTF-8">
<div class="c-form__inner">
<div class="js-form-item form-item js-form-type-textfield form-item-global-terms js-form-item-global-terms">
<label for="edit-global-terms">Search the site</label>
<input data-drupal-selector="edit-global-terms" type="text" id="edit-global-terms" name="global-terms" value="" size="30" maxlength="128" placeholder="Search the site" class="form-text" />
</div>
<input data-drupal-selector="form-i3cen4b6utwixr5h81ryqz9gufbavdkex1xyazxv-lc" type="hidden" name="form_build_id" value="form-I3cEN4B6UtwIXr5H81Ryqz9GUfBAVdkex1xyAzxV-Lc" />
<input data-drupal-selector="edit-search-global" type="hidden" name="form_id" value="search_global" />
<div data-drupal-selector="edit-global-actions" class="form-actions js-form-wrapper form-wrapper" id="edit-global-actions"><input data-drupal-selector="edit-global-submit" type="submit" id="edit-global-submit" name="op" value="Search" class="button js-form-submit form-submit" />
</div>
</div>
</form>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="r-menu-primary">
<nav aria-label="Main navigation" id="block-mainnavigation" class="o-menu-main__outer">
<ul class="o-menu o-menu-main"> <li class="o-menu-main__item o-menu-main__item--expanded o-menu-main__item--no-js"> <a href="/learn-about-eye-health" class="o-menu-main__link" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/39">Learn About Eye Health</a>
<ul class="o-menu o-menu-main__submenu"> <li class="o-menu-main__item o-menu-main__item--collapsed"> <a href="/learn-about-eye-health/healthy-vision" class="o-menu-main__link" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/788">Healthy Vision</a>
</li>
<li class="o-menu-main__item o-menu-main__item--collapsed"> <a href="/learn-about-eye-health/eye-conditions-and-diseases" class="o-menu-main__link" data-drupal-link-system-path="learn-about-eye-health/eye-conditions-and-diseases">Eye Conditions and Diseases</a>
</li>
<li class="o-menu-main__item o-menu-main__item--collapsed"> <a href="/learn-about-eye-health/eye-health-data-and-statistics" class="o-menu-main__link" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/825">Eye Health Data and Statistics</a>
</li>
<li class="o-menu-main__item o-menu-main__item--collapsed"> <a href="/learn-about-eye-health/campaigns" class="o-menu-main__link" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/3859">Campaigns</a>
</li>
<li class="o-menu-main__item"> <a href="/learn-about-eye-health/vision-rehabilitation" class="o-menu-main__link" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/3865">Vision Rehabilitation</a>
</li>
<li class="o-menu-main__item"> <a href="/learn-about-eye-health/nei-for-kids" class="o-menu-main__link" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/162">NEI for Kids</a>
</li>
<li class="o-menu-main__item o-menu-main__item--collapsed"> <a href="/learn-about-eye-health/outreach-resources" class="o-menu-main__link" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/125">Outreach Resources</a>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li class="o-menu-main__item o-menu-main__item--expanded o-menu-main__item--no-js"> <a href="/grants-and-training" class="o-menu-main__link" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/143">Grants and Training</a>
<ul class="o-menu-main__submenu o-menu"> <li class="o-menu-main__item"> <a href="/grants-and-training/how-apply" class="o-menu-main__link" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/145">How to Apply</a>
</li>
<li class="o-menu-main__item o-menu-main__item--collapsed"> <a href="/grants-and-training/funding-opportunities" class="o-menu-main__link" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/144">Funding Opportunities</a>
</li>
<li class="o-menu-main__item o-menu-main__item--collapsed"> <a href="/grants-and-training/training-nei" class="o-menu-main__link" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/146">Training at NEI</a>
</li>
<li class="o-menu-main__item o-menu-main__item--collapsed"> <a href="/grants-and-training/funding-training-and-career-development" class="o-menu-main__link" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/152">Funding for Training and Career Development</a>
</li>
<li class="o-menu-main__item o-menu-main__item--collapsed"> <a href="/grants-and-training/policies-and-procedures" class="o-menu-main__link" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/149">Policies and Procedures</a>
</li>
<li class="o-menu-main__item"> <a href="/grants-and-training/Prior-Approval-Requests" class="o-menu-main__link" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/3918">Prior Approval Requests</a>
</li>
<li class="o-menu-main__item o-menu-main__item--collapsed"> <a href="/grants-and-training/resources-researchers" class="o-menu-main__link" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/150">Resources for Researchers</a>
</li>
<li class="o-menu-main__item o-menu-main__item--collapsed"> <a href="/grants-and-training/contact-grants-and-funding-staff" class="o-menu-main__link" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/151">Contact Grants and Funding Staff</a>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li class="o-menu-main__item o-menu-main__item--expanded o-menu-main__item--no-js"> <a href="/research" class="o-menu-main__link" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/41">Research at NEI</a>
<ul class="o-menu-main__submenu o-menu"> <li class="o-menu-main__item"> <a href="/about/news-and-events/news" title="Research News" class="o-menu-main__link" data-drupal-link-system-path="about/news-and-events/news">Research News</a>
</li>
<li class="o-menu-main__item o-menu-main__item--collapsed"> <a href="/research/clinical-trials" class="o-menu-main__link" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/132">Clinical Trials</a>
</li>
<li class="o-menu-main__item o-menu-main__item--collapsed"> <a href="/research/research-labs-and-branches" class="o-menu-main__link" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/270">Research Labs and Branches</a>
</li>
<li class="o-menu-main__item"> <a href="/research/jobs-and-training-opportunities-nei" class="o-menu-main__link" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/564">Jobs and Training Opportunities at NEI</a>
</li>
<li class="o-menu-main__item"> <a href="/research/seminars" class="o-menu-main__link" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/4048">NEI Research Seminars</a>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li class="o-menu-main__item o-menu-main__item--expanded o-menu-main__item--no-js"> <a href="/about" class="o-menu-main__link" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/275">About NEI</a>
<ul class="o-menu-main__submenu o-menu"> <li class="o-menu-main__item"> <a href="/about/strategic-planning" class="o-menu-main__link" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/2857">Strategic Planning</a>
</li>
<li class="o-menu-main__item o-menu-main__item--collapsed"> <a href="/about/news-and-events" class="o-menu-main__link" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/131">News and Events</a>
</li>
<li class="o-menu-main__item o-menu-main__item--collapsed"> <a href="/about/goals-and-accomplishments" class="o-menu-main__link" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/281">Goals and Accomplishments</a>
</li>
<li class="o-menu-main__item o-menu-main__item--collapsed"> <a href="/about/nei-history" class="o-menu-main__link" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/282">NEI History</a>
</li>
<li class="o-menu-main__item o-menu-main__item--collapsed"> <a href="/about/nei-leadership" class="o-menu-main__link" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/415">NEI Leadership</a>
</li>
<li class="o-menu-main__item o-menu-main__item--collapsed"> <a href="/about/budget-and-congress" class="o-menu-main__link" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/395">Budget and Congress</a>
</li>
<li class="o-menu-main__item o-menu-main__item--collapsed"> <a href="/about/advisory-committees" class="o-menu-main__link" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/285">Advisory Committees</a>
</li>
<li class="o-menu-main__item"> <a href="/learn-about-eye-health/outreach-resources/national-eye-health-education-program" title="National Eye Health Education Program" class="o-menu-main__link" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/265">National Eye Health Education Program</a>
</li>
<li class="o-menu-main__item"> <a href="/about/donate-nei" class="o-menu-main__link" data-drupal-link-system-path="node/286">Donate to NEI</a>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</nav>
</div>
</div>
<div class="o-overlay" aria-hidden="true"></div>
<div class="r-breadcrumb">
<div id="block-nei-breadcrumbs">
<nav aria-label="Breadcrumb">
<ol class="c-breadcrumb">
<li>
<a href="/">Home</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="/about">About NEI</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="/about/news-and-events">News and Events</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="/about/news-and-events/news">NEI Research News</a>
</li>
<li>
Three teams win NIHs 3D Retinal Organoid Challenge
</li>
</ol>
</nav>
</div>
</div>
<div class="r-page-header">
<div class="o-page-header">
<div id="block-nei-page-title">
<h1>
<span>Three teams win NIHs 3D Retinal Organoid Challenge</span>
</h1>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="r-highlighted">
<div data-drupal-messages-fallback class="hidden"></div>
</div>
<div class="r-help">
</div>
<main id="main-content" class="r-main">
<div class="r-pre-content">
</div>
<div class="r-splitter">
<div class="r-content">
<div id="block-nei-content">
<article data-history-node-id="3779">
<div>
<div class="c-item__subtitle">
Winning teams create retinas-in-a-dish that will aid research, drug development
</div>
<div class="c-item__date">
August 31, 2022
</div>
<div class="c-item__tag c-item__tag--topic">
<a href="/about/news-and-events/news?topic=364" hreflang="en">Regenerative Medicine</a>
<a href="/about/news-and-events/news?topic=7" hreflang="en">Retina</a>
</div>
<div class="c-item__tag c-item__tag--research-type">
<a href="/about/news-and-events/news?research=35" hreflang="en">Translational Research</a>
</div>
<div class="c-item__tag c-item__tag--source">
<a href="/about/news-and-events/news?source=123" hreflang="en">NEI</a>
</div>
<div class="c-item__tag c-item__tag--topic">
<a href="/about/news-and-events/news?initiatives=169" hreflang="en">3-D Retina Organoid Challenge</a>
</div>
<div class="o-news__content">
<div class="c-image c-image--has-caption c-image--left">
<div class="c-image__src">
<img src="https://www.nei.nih.gov/sites/default/files/styles/small/public/2022-08/D194%20CRLBP%20Rec%20DAPI2%20small.jpg?itok=uHpJoUP4" alt="Fluorencent microscope image of retinal organoid colored in red, blue and green" width="484" height="303">
</div>
<div class="c-image__caption">
<p>Retinal organoid showing radial Muller glia and a well-organized outer layer consisting of photoreceptor cells. Image credit: M. Natalia Vergara and M. Valeria Canto-Soler</p>
</div>
</div>
<div class="c-text">
<p>Three scientific teams that developed physiologically competent retinal organoid systems have won the final phase of the <a href="/about/goals-and-accomplishments/nei-research-initiatives/3-d-retina-organoid-challenge-3-d-roc">3D Retinal Organoid Challenge (3D ROC)</a>. The challenge, managed by the National Eye Institute (NEI) tasked researchers to recreate the complex cellular and neuronal circuitry of the retina in reproducible, outside-the-body systems that could serve as a platform for research and drug development. The three winning teams were led by Maria Valeria Canto-Soler, Ph.D. University of Colorado Anschultz Medical Campus, Aurora; Maria Natalia Vergara, Ph.D., University of Colorado Anschultz Medical Campus; and Wei Liu, Ph.D., Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York City. NEI is part of the National Institutes of Health.</p>
</div>
<div class="c-image c-image--has-caption c-image--left">
<div class="c-image__src">
<img src="https://www.nei.nih.gov/sites/default/files/styles/small/public/2022-08/Retinal_organoid_canto-soler.jpg?itok=j4OnjSNo" alt="Fluorescent microscope image of retinal organoid with red and blue staining of columnar cells and green cells at the base." width="811" height="797">
</div>
<div class="c-image__caption">
<p>3D retinal tissue complex derived from hiPSC that recreates the cellular composition of the outer retina. Image credit: M. Valeria Canto-Soler</p>
</div>
</div>
<div class="c-text">
<p>“The retina is an amazingly complex tissue, with neuronal circuitry and layers of support cells that all interact to give us functional vision,” said Tom Greenwell, Ph.D., director of NEIs Office of Regenerative Medicine. “This challenge was designed to help research teams develop new retina-in-a-dish research models that can be used to accelerate vision research and bring us closer to treatments for eye diseases. Organoids like those produced by our three winning teams are an exciting new tool in our research toolbox.”</p><p>3D ROC, launched in 2017, was designed in three phases. In the <a href="/about/news-and-events/news/national-eye-institute-awards-prize-retina-dish-competition">first phase</a>, which closed September 2017, researchers presented conceptual frameworks for designing and building retinal organoids. In the <a href="/about/goals-and-accomplishments/nei-research-initiatives/3-d-retina-organoid-challenge-3-d-roc/2017-ideation-challenge/2017-ideation-winner-and-honorable-mention">second phase</a>, which closed December 2020, researchers showed significant progress towards a functional retinal organoid.</p>
</div>
<div class="c-text">
<p>In the third and final phase, researchers designed retinal organoids that recapitulate the major cellular groups and functions of the living human retina, including light-sensing photoreceptors, supportive retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells, retinal ganglion cells, and vascular cells. Descriptions of the winning teams follow.</p><p>The <a href="https://youtu.be/Dx5oXGzg-gs">team led by Canto-Soler</a>, which won $500,000, created a retinal organoid system with functional photoreceptors and RPE cell layers, including most structures in whats known as the “outer retina.” Inclusion of the RPE cell layer suggests this organoid can be used as a research model for age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a leading cause of blindness in American adults.</p><p>The <a href="https://youtu.be/pLVS3CmVWBo">team led by Vergara</a> won $250,000 for development of a retinal organoid model that is highly reproducible, making it useful for high-throughput drug screening.</p>
</div>
<div class="c-image c-image--has-caption c-image--left">
<div class="c-image__src">
<img src="https://www.nei.nih.gov/sites/default/files/styles/small/public/2022-08/Liu_image.jpg?itok=BuI01O0P" alt="Four images showing retinal organoids at different stages of development." width="1056" height="915">
</div>
<div class="c-image__caption">
<p>Retinal organoids at day 105 display a stratified structure, as demonstrated by amacrine cell marker PAX6, progenitor/bipolar cell marker VSX2, photoreceptor markers OTX2 and RCVN. (C, D) Retinal organoids at day 215 maintain a stratified structure and are rich in cones, as shown by cone marker OPN1MW/LW and rod marker RHO. Image credit: Wei Liu</p>
</div>
</div>
<div class="c-text">
<p>The <a href="https://youtu.be/3clGPjCVaC8">team led by Liu</a> won $125,000 for developing a retinal organoid with all the major neuron groups in the retina. These organoids included an area with extra cone photoreceptors similar to the human fovea, the region of the retina that gives us high acuity central vision. These retinal organoids will be particularly useful for testing gene therapies affecting neuronal function.</p><p>Finally, a <a href="https://youtu.be/G9xhR2dGMOk">team led by Robert J. Johnston Jr.</a>, Ph.D., Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, received an honorable mention for their 3D ROC entry. The Johnston team created retinal organoids with a full complement of cone photoreceptor types and developed a new method to differentiate cone subtypes.</p><p>###</p><p>This press release describes a basic research finding. Basic research increases our understanding of human behavior and biology, which is foundational to advancing new and better ways to prevent, diagnose, and treat disease. Science is an unpredictable and incremental process— each research advance builds on past discoveries, often in unexpected ways. Most clinical advances would not be possible without the knowledge of fundamental basic research. To learn more about basic research, visit <a href="https://www.nih.gov/news-events/basic-research-digital-media-kit">https://www.nih.gov/news-events/basic-research-digital-media-kit</a>.</p><p>NEI leads the federal governments efforts to eliminate vision loss and improve quality of life through vision research…driving innovation, fostering collaboration, expanding the vision workforce, and educating the public and key stakeholders. NEI supports basic and clinical science programs to develop sight-saving treatments and to broaden opportunities for people with vision impairment. For more information, visit <a href="/">https://www.nei.nih.gov</a>.</p><p>About the National Institutes of Health (NIH): NIH, the nations medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit <a href="https://www.nih.gov/">https://www.nih.gov/</a>.</p><p>NIH…Turning Discovery Into Health®</p>
</div>
<div class="c-contact">
<h2 class="c-contact__heading">Contact</h2>
<div class="c-contact__label c-contact__name"><strong>Lesley Earl</strong></div>
<div class="c-contact__label c-contact__email">
<a href="mailto:neinews@nih.gov">Email</a>
</div>
<div class="c-contact__label c-contact__phone">301-496-5248</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</article>
</div>
</div>
<aside class="r-sidebar" role="complementary">
<div class="views-element-container" id="block-views-block-nei-sidebar-block-1">
<div>
<div class="js-view-dom-id-2f34f54cd3cbfd89a1e3807dc4254f14f633213ba0d46f662b94aa074ee821ed nei-sidebar">
</div>
</div>
</div>
</aside>
</div>
</main>
<div class="r-footer">
<footer class="o-footer" role="contentinfo">
<div id="block-footer-2">
<div class="o-footer__row">
<div class="o-footer__group o-footer__group--logo"><a class="o-logo__link" href="/" rel="home" title="Home"><span class="o-logo__text">National Eye Institute</span></a>
<ul class="o-menu-social">
<li class="o-menu-social__item"><a class="o-menu-social__link o-menu-social__link--facebook outlink-ignore" href="https://www.facebook.com/NationalEyeInstitute">Facebook</a></li>
<li class="o-menu-social__item"><a class="o-menu-social__link o-menu-social__link--twitter outlink-ignore" href="https://twitter.com/NatEyeInstitute">Twitter</a></li>
<li class="o-menu-social__item"><a class="o-menu-social__link o-menu-social__link--linkedin outlink-ignore" href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/national-eye-institute-nei">LinkedIn</a></li>
<li class="o-menu-social__item"><a class="o-menu-social__link o-menu-social__link--youtube outlink-ignore" href="https://www.youtube.com/user/neinih">YouTube</a></li>
</ul>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
</div>
<div class="o-footer__group o-footer__group--contact">
<h2 class="o-footer__title">Contact NEI</h2>
<ul class="o-menu-footer">
<li class="o-menu-footer__item"><a class="o-menu-footer__link" href="/contact-us/">Contact Us</a></li>
<li class="o-menu-footer__item"><a class="o-menu-footer__link" href="https://www.nih.gov/about-nih/visitor-information">Visit NIH</a></li>
<li class="o-menu-footer__item"><a class="o-menu-footer__link" href="https://list.nih.gov/cgi-bin/wa.exe?SUBED1=insidenei&amp;A=1">Get Email Updates from NEI</a></li>
</ul>
</div>
<div class="o-footer__group o-footer__group--policies">
<h2 class="o-footer__title">Policies</h2>
<ul class="o-menu-footer">
<li class="o-menu-footer__item"><a class="o-menu-footer__link" href="/accessibility-information">Accessibility</a></li>
<li class="o-menu-footer__item"><a class="o-menu-footer__link" href="https://www.nih.gov/nondiscrimination-notice-language-assistance-services">Information in Other Languages</a></li>
<li class="o-menu-footer__item"><a class="o-menu-footer__link" href="/nei-website-privacy-policy">Privacy</a></li>
<li class="o-menu-footer__item"><a class="o-menu-footer__link" href="/freedom-information-act">Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)</a></li>
<li class="o-menu-footer__item"><a class="o-menu-footer__link" href="/disclaimers">Disclaimers</a></li>
<li class="o-menu-footer__item"><a class="o-menu-footer__link" href="/web-policies ">Web Policies</a></li>
<li class="o-menu-footer__item"><a class="o-menu-footer__link" href="https://www.hhs.gov/vulnerability-disclosure-policy/index.html ">Vulnerability Disclosure</a></li>
</ul>
</div>
<div class="o-footer__group o-footer__group--employees">
<h2 class="o-footer__title">For NEI Employees</h2>
<ul class="o-menu-footer">
<li class="o-menu-footer__item"><a class="o-menu-footer__link" href="https://intranet.nei.nih.gov">Intranet</a></li>
<li class="o-menu-footer__item"><a class="o-menu-footer__link" href="https://intranet.nei.nih.gov/hr/Pages/emergency.aspx">Emergency Information</a></li>
<li class="o-menu-footer__item"><a class="o-menu-footer__link" href="https://ned.nih.gov/search/search.aspx">NIH Staff Directory</a></li>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
<div class="o-footer__row">
<div class="o-footer__full o-footer__full--parent">
<ul class="o-menu-footer o-menu-footer--swing">
<li class="o-menu-footer__item"><a class="o-menu-footer__link" href="https://www.nih.gov/">NIH.gov</a></li>
<li class="o-menu-footer__item"><a class="o-menu-footer__link" href="https://hhs.gov/">HHS.gov</a></li>
<li class="o-menu-footer__item"><a class="o-menu-footer__link" href="https://usa.gov/">USA.gov</a></li>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</footer>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="c-lb-wrapper" id="lb-wrapper" aria-hidden="true">
<div class="c-lb-overlay" tabindex="-1"></div>
<div role="dialog" class="c-lb" id="lb">
<div class="c-lb-header">
<button class="c-lb-close-btn"><span class="c-lb-close-btn-text">Close</span><span class="c-lb-close-btn-text times" aria-hidden="true">&times;</span></button>
</div>
<figure class="c-lb-figure">
<figcaption class="c-lb-caption"></figcaption>
</figure>
</div>
</div>
<script src="/sites/default/files/js/js_agazM-qm5cOcplNZo9kNIWFtUrwt0V1xgAKtLyM44Us.js?scope=footer&amp;delta=0&amp;language=en&amp;theme=nei&amp;include=eJxdjEEOgCAMBD-E9kmkYrOpqdQAMerr5eBBvUx29jCp8HUKQOkZAe4wiY1B6Pj7yAsf33MNmZvuEq0nojnPmkFvCVmUYD6xDTUV3Vq9ATUbLxk"></script>
<script src="/themes/custom/nei/js/scripts.js?sraguf"></script>
</body>
</html>