Dr Koushik Chakrabarty
Talks about GROW-iPSC

Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (iPSC)

Overview

Introduction

Induced pluripotent stem cells enable patient-specific disease modelling by reprogramming adult cells into pluripotent stem cells. At Narayana Netralaya Foundation, iPSC research is used to study ocular diseases at a cellular level and connect genetic findings with functional outcomes.

Why This Research Matters

Many inherited retinal diseases progress silently before clinical symptoms appear. iPSC-derived retinal cells allow early disease mechanisms to be studied and therapies to be evaluated in human-relevant models.

Objectives

The iPSC programme aims to:

  • Generate patient-specific iPSC lines
  • Differentiate iPSCs into retinal cell types
  • Model disease progression in vitro
  • Support therapeutic testing and validation

Core Research Focus

The iPSC programme focuses on creating patient-specific cellular models to study disease mechanisms and evaluate therapeutic strategies in a controlled laboratory environment.

 

Core areas of focus include:

  • Generation of patient-derived iPSC lines from inherited ocular disease cases
  • Differentiation of iPSCs into retinal and ocular cell types, including RPE and photoreceptors
  • Modelling early-stage disease processes and cellular dysfunction
  • Studying genotype–phenotype relationships at a cellular level

A strong emphasis is placed on translational integration, including:

  • Functional validation of genetic variants identified through ocular genetics
  • Testing gene therapy and pharmacological interventions in human-derived cells
  • Correlating cellular phenotypes with clinical imaging and functional outcomes

Together, these efforts support a diverse portfolio of iPSC research, spanning various areas ocular and cellular dysfunction.

Team

The iPSC programme is led by a multidisciplinary team of scientists and clinician-researchers with expertise in:

  • Stem Cell Biology
  • Retinal Development
  • Molecular Genetics
  • Translational Ophthalmology

Close collaboration between laboratory researchers and clinicians ensures that research priorities remain aligned with patient needs and real-world clinical applicability.

nVault - Publications | Articles | Research

Multimodal Imaging in Unilateral Acute Idiopathic Maculopathy with Staphylococcus aureus Infection

Multimodal Imaging in Unilateral Acute Idiopathic Maculopathy with Staphylococcus aureus Infection

Authors: Padmamalini Mahendradas, Aditya Patil, Rahul Patil, Raghav Narasimhan, Radhika Sriram, Sai Bhakti Mishra, Ankush Kawali, Poornachandra Gowda, Rohit Shetty, Abhijit Sinha Roy

Keywords: NA

PMID: 39561034

DOI: 10.1080/09273948.2024.2425976

An objective assessment of vision performance at different reading distances after smooth incision lenticular keratomileusis (SILK) for myopia

An objective assessment of vision performance at different reading distances after smooth incision lenticular keratomileusis (SILK) for myopia

Authors: Rohit Shetty, Pooja Khamar, Raghav Narasimhan, Ritika Mullick, Anushree Bhatkal, Anisha Ramesh & Abhijit Sinha Roy

Keywords: NA

PMID: 40781520

DOI: 10.1038/s41598-025-13957-6

Trehalose extricates impaired mitochondrial and autophagy dysregulation in patient iPSC-derived macular corneal dystrophy disease model

Trehalose extricates impaired mitochondrial and autophagy dysregulation in patient iPSC-derived macular corneal dystrophy disease model

Authors: Divyani Nayak, Shivapriya Shivakumar, Rohit Shetty, K N Prashanthi, Arkasubhra Ghosh, Nallathambi Jeyabalan, Koushik Chakrabarty

Keywords: NA

PMID: 39639354

DOI: 10.1186/s13287-024-04016-4

See All

Future Vision

The iPSC programme is progressing towards:

  • Scale iPSC platforms for robust and reproducible disease modelling
  • Enable personalised therapeutic testing using patient-derived cellular models
  • Support validation of gene and drug-based therapies in human-relevant systems
  • Strengthen integration between cellular phenotypes and clinical outcomes
  • Position iPSC research as a core translational bridge within the research ecosystem