Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of differentiating an induced pluripotent stem cell into a retinal pigment epithelial cell. Additionally, the present invention relates to a retinal pigment epithelial cell culture obtainable by the differentiation method and a retinal pigment epithelial cell culture obtained by the differentiation method. In addition, the present invention concerns a retinal pigment epithelium consisting of or comprising a retinal pigment epithelial cell culture obtainable or obtained by the differentiation method. The present invention also relates to a pharmaceutical composition comprising a retinal pigment epithelial cell culture obtained by the differentiation method. The present invention concerns a method of treating a retinal degenerative disease in a subject, comprising administering to a subject a retinal pigment epithelial cell differentiated from the induced pluripotent stem cell by the method.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of generating an induced pluripotent stem cell. The method of the disclosure comprises expressing exogenous nucleic acids encoding the proteins OCT3/4, SOX2, KLF4, LIN28 and L-MYC and the p53-shRNA in a stem cell of the amniotic membrane of the umbilical cord under conditions suitable to reprogram the stem cell, thereby generating the induced pluripotent stem cell. The present invention also refer to an induced pluripotent stem cell population obtainable by the method and an induced pluripotent stem cell population obtained by the method. Further, a pharmaceutical composition comprising the induced pluripotent stem cell of the present invention is concerned. The present invention also relates to a method of differentiating the induced pluripotent stem cell of this invention. In addition, a pharmaceutical composition comprising a differentiated induced pluripotent stem cell obtained by the method is also concerned.

Abstract: An implantable light delivery device comprises: a core portion cladded in a cladding, the core portion comprising upconversion nano-particles (UCNPs) encapsulated in an encapsulation material. The implantable light delivery device may be used in treatments such as photodynamic therapy to provide an emission of light at a wavelength configured by the selection of UCNPs. The encapsulation material may comprise hydrogel and the cladding may comprise fluorinated ethylene propylene.