Dr. Humayun and his team are inventing new ways to diagnose and treat patients who are either going blind or are blind. The lab’s expertise is to develop abiotic-biotic interfaces with the retina to help restore sight or prevent visual loss. The Humayun lab, collaborating with others, has successfully developed the only FDA-approved artificial retina to restore sight to patients blind from inherited retina degenerations that suffer from photoreceptor loss. The team has also developed a unique scaffold with stem-cell derived retinal pigment epithelium cells for implantation in patients with advanced dry age-related macular degeneration. This stem cell implant is now in FDA clinical trials.

Stories

Illustrations by Doug Chayka; featured image for Cell by cell: Rebuilding the body

Cell by cell: Rebuilding the body

USC researchers are revolutionizing how we treat disease by harnessing stem cells as “living medicine.” Anyone who’s healed from a cut or a scrape has witnessed the incredible regenerative power of stem …

Normal vision and view with AMD; featured image for USC-supported startup receives major grant for clinical trial of a promising eye treatment

USC-supported startup receives major grant for clinical trial of a promising eye treatment

A stem cell patch developed by USC researchers for patients with macular degeneration will soon be tested in a phase 2b clinical trial. This latest milestone in the patch’s development was made …

USC VITERBI’S RECENTLY NAMED ALFRED E. MANN DEPARTMENT OF BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING IS HOME TO 75 PRIMARY AND AFFILIATED FACULTY, DRIVING CUTTING-EDGE RESEARCH FROM BIOMEDICAL DEVICES TO NEURAL ENGINEERING TO MOLECULAR BIOENGINEERING.; featured image for $35 million gift: Era of the Alfred E. Mann Department of Biomedical Engineering begins

$35 million gift: Era of the Alfred E. Mann Department of Biomedical Engineering begins

In 1976, the United States celebrated its’ 200th birthday, and USC’s department of biomedical engineering was born. Nearly 50 years later, that department has a name: the Alfred E. Mann Department of …

David Hinton; featured image for In Memoriam: David R. Hinton, MD, FARVO

In Memoriam: David R. Hinton, MD, FARVO

Professor of Pathology; Gavin S. Herbert Professorship in Vision Research; Associate Dean for Vision Science; Vice Chair of Pathology; Director, Keck School of Medicine of USC/CalTech MD/PhD Program; Director, Dean’s Research Scholars …

New subretinal implant A new subretinal implant invented by Mark Humayun has been shown to improve vision in some patients who suffered from dry age-related macular degeneration.; featured image for USC discovery shows long-term viability of stem cell derived retinal implant

USC discovery shows long-term viability of stem cell derived retinal implant

Doctors and biomedical engineers who implant cells and tissues into patients to restore motion or eyesight have long been challenged by potential rejection of the implant by the patient’s own immune system. …

Mark Humayun (Photo by Gus Ruelas); featured image for Mark Humayun among USC faculty named 2021 AAAS Fellows

Mark Humayun among USC faculty named 2021 AAAS Fellows

The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) has elected three USC professors to become AAAS fellows in 2021. The council designates members with this distinction whose “efforts on behalf of …

USC's stem cell research center

California’s biggest stem cell experiment: The impact of the stem cell ballot proposition at USC

In 2008, USC broke ground on an $80 million building dedicated solely to stem cell research and regenerative medicine. The plans called for a monolithic structure clad in black marble and reflective …

Humayun and Kashani; featured image for Physician-scientists pioneer new surgical approach to treat progressive blindness

Physician-scientists pioneer new surgical approach to treat progressive blindness

Dry age-related macular degeneration (dry AMD) poses a significant clinical challenge. It is one of the leading causes of progressive blindness, robbing millions of people over the age of 65 of their …

Mark Humayun (pictured) was featured with Amir Kashani for their innovations in sight restoration in a recent episode of Voice of America's "VOA/TEK." (Photo/Episode Still)

Researchers featured on “VOA/TEK” for their innovations in eyesight restoration

Voice of America’s “VOA/TEK,” a news program dedicated to highlighting cutting-edge technologies and medical breakthroughs, recently featured Mark Humayun, MD, PhD, University Professor of Ophthalmology at the Keck School of Medicine and …

As dry AMD progresses, patients perceive a dark spot obscuring the center of their vision. (Image/National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health); featured image for New grant backs development of treatment for dry age-related macular degeneration

New grant backs development of treatment for dry age-related macular degeneration

The California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) recently awarded $3.73 million to Mark Humayun, MD, PhD, University Professor of Ophthalmology, Cornelius J. Pings Chair in Biomedical Sciences, director of the USC Dr. …

USC Stem Cell at the world's largest stem cell conference (Photo by Sergio Bianco)

USC brings the world’s largest stem cell conference to Los Angeles

For the first time ever, the City of Los Angeles hosted the world’s largest stem cell conference. By choosing Los Angeles as the host city for this major annual meeting, the International …

USC's David Hinton gives a cellular view of a stem cell-based eye implant. (Photo by Cristy Lytal)

USC public symposium illustrates how to move stem cells from Petri dish to patient

Have you ever wondered how a scientific discovery in the laboratory becomes a new medical treatment for patients in the hospital? At the public symposium “Bringing Stem Cells to Patients – Treating …

Embryonic stem cells that have differentiated into neurons (Image by In Kyoung Mah/Mariani Lab); featured image for From restoring sight to reversing brain damage, USC stem cell researchers are making life-changing discoveries

From restoring sight to reversing brain damage, USC stem cell researchers are making life-changing discoveries

If anyone has a clear vision of the power of stem cell cures, it’s Anna Kuehl. She suffered a retina-wrecking disease that cost her much of her sight before USC physicians surgically …

Eye treated for macular degeneration; featured image for RSVP for 6/26 USC Public Symposium on a stem cell-based approach to treating age-related blindness

RSVP for 6/26 USC Public Symposium on a stem cell-based approach to treating age-related blindness

A Public Symposium co-sponsored by USC Stem Cell and the Choi Family @ISSCCR 2019 RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/bringing-stem-cells-to-patients-treating-age-related-blindness-tickets-62892259441#tickets Program *Spanish translation available. 6:30 p.m. Registration and free food 7–8 p.m. Andrew P. McMahon, …

Anna Kuehl (Photo by Tracy + David Stills and Motion); featured image for Out of the woods: USC alumna and nature lover Anna Kuehl finds hope to restore her vision

Out of the woods: USC alumna and nature lover Anna Kuehl finds hope to restore her vision

Once upon a time, there was a little girl named Anna Kuehl who loved exploring the nature surrounding her home in the Bavarian Forest. Located northeast of Munich not far from the …

The gift from Allen and Charlotte Ginsburg will establish a research fund at the USC Institute for Biomedical Therapeutics. (Photo courtesy of Allen and Charlotte Ginsburg); featured image for Gift supports biomedical innovation at USC

Gift supports biomedical innovation at USC

A $10 million gift from Allen and Charlotte Ginsburg will provide critical funding for innovative research at USC into debilitating neurosensory diseases.

Retinal pigment epithelial cells (Image courtesy of David Hinton); featured image for Researchers test stem cell–based retinal implant for common cause of vision loss with encouraging results

Researchers test stem cell–based retinal implant for common cause of vision loss with encouraging results

Physicians and researchers at the USC Roski Eye Institute have collaborated with other California institutions to show that a first-in-kind stem cell–based retinal implant is feasible for use in people with advanced …

Mark Humayun (Photo by Gus Ruelas); featured image for Envisioning a new world

Envisioning a new world

The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) has awarded Mark Humayun, co-director of the USC Gayle and Edward Roski Eye Institute and director of the Institute for Biomedical Sciences, with the …

Retinal pigment epithelial cells (Image courtesy of David Hinton); featured image for Keck School to host Howard Hughes Medical Research Fellow

Keck School to host Howard Hughes Medical Research Fellow

The Keck School of Medicine of USC will host Marta Stevanovic, a third-year student and Robert W. Woodruff Fellow at Emory University School of Medicine, who has been selected by the Howard …

Mark S. Humayun (Photo courtesy of the Keck School of Medicine of USC); featured image for Dr. Mark Humayun elected a 2016 Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors

Dr. Mark Humayun elected a 2016 Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors

Today the National Academy of Inventors (NAI) announced Mark S. Humayun, co-director of the University of Southern California (USC) Roski Eye Institute and director of the USC Institute for Biomedical Therapeutics, has …