Abstract: A novel TAL-effector nuclease (TALEN) for targeted knockout of the HIV co-receptor CCR5. One aspect provides a TAL-effector nuclease pair with a first and a second TAL-effector nuclease monomer, each TAL-effector nuclease monomer having an endonuclease domain having type II endonuclease activity and a TAL-effector DNA binding domain having a plurality of repeat units, each with a variable amino acid pair RVD, and wherein a) the TAL-effector DNA binding domain of the first TAL-effector nuclease monomer binds to the target sequence GCTGGTCATCCTCATCCTG (SEQ ID NO: 1) and/or comprises the RVD sequence NH HD NG NH NH NG HD NI NG HD HD NG HD NI NG HD HD NG NN, and b) the TAL-effector DNA binding domain of the second TAL-effector nuclease monomer binds to the target sequence AGATGTCAGTCATGCTCTT (SEQ ID NO: 2) and/or comprises the RVD sequence NI NN NI NG NN NG HD NI NH NG HD NI NG NH HD NG HD NG NG.

Abstract: The invention relates to the production of retina-specific cells from human adult bone marrow stem cells by culturing bone marrow stem cells in the presence of a differentiation medium. The invention also relates to retina-specific cells and to the use of these cells for treating diseases associated with acquired or congenital dysfunction of the retinal pigment epithelium, cells of adjacent structures of the entire retina and of the choroid coat as well as of other eye tissue.