1. Using stem cells to understand blinding eye diseases
Dr Duncan Crombie
Neuroregeneration Research
We conduct eye research with real-life impact. We are unravelling the causes of diseases, preventing blindness through earlier diagnosis and better treatments, and restoring sight.
We are closely affiliated with the University of Melbourne Department of Ophthalmology, and are co-located with the Department at the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital. This three-way partnership between CERA, the University and the Hospital, is key to the successful translation of our research from the bench to the bedside.
Our ultimate goal is to find solutions for the three major blinding eye diseases that affect Australians – macular degeneration; glaucoma and diabetic eye disease – and to pioneer vision regeneration programs to give hope to people who have lost their sight.

2. Pluripotent Stem Cells

3. Stem cells can be guided to become cardiomyocytes (heart cells)

4. …Or neurons (nerve cells)

5. Pluripotent stem cells can become cells of the retina
Retinal ganglion cells (RGCs)
Gill et al Scientific Reports 2016
Retinal pigment epithelial cells (RPE cells)
Crombie et al Drug Disc Today: Dis Mod 2016

6. Pluripotent stem cells can become cells of the retina and used to study diseases of the eye
Glaucoma, Leber’s Hereditary Optic Neuropathy
Retinitis pigmentosa
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD)

7. Where is the research heading next?
In both groups, NR or RPE selective, we could see neural rosette formation and stratification in the spheres by day 30.
After 40 days, there were more clear stratified “optic cup-like” structures

8. Retinal Organoids
In both groups, NR or RPE selective, we could see neural rosette formation and stratification in the spheres by day 30.
After 40 days, there were more clear stratified “optic cup-like” structures
Adapted from

9. Advancing stem cell culture - Pluripotent Stem Cells – 12 years ago
Manual Passaging
2 full-time researchers
8 stem cell lines

10. Pluripotent Stem Cells – Today, Automated Stem Cell Culture
Automated passaging and feeding
1 PhD candidate with support from the team
>300 stem cell lines and counting; including from 150 glaucoma patients

11. Using stem cells to understand eye disease – finding phenotypes
Davidson et al, 2014

12. Acknowledgements Neuroregeneration Alice Pébay Maciej Daniszewski
Centre for Eye Research Australia
Ophthalmology, University of Melbourne
Neuroregeneration
Alice Pébay
Maciej Daniszewski
Alison Conquest
Katie Gill
Damian Hernandez
Tejal Kulkarni
Grace Lidgerwood
Louise Rooney
Sophie Chevalier
Cellular Reprogramming
Raymond Wong
Clinical Genetics
Alex Hewitt
Helena Liang
Lisa Kearns
Sandra Staffieri
Linda Clarke
Elisabeth De Smit
Fan Li
Tristan McCaughey
Sandy Hung
University of Tasmania
Anthony Cook
James Vickers
Mathew Summers
Johns Hopkins University
Donald Zack
Valentin M. Sluch
Xitiz Chamling
Flinders University
Jamie Craig
University of Queensland
Joseph Powell
CSIRO
Andrew Laslett
Hun Chy
University of Western Australia
David Mackey
Funding Clemenger Foundation
National Health & Medical Research Council
Ophthalmic Research Institute of Australia
Retina Australia