At the University of Arizona:

Dr. McKay, a retinal cell biology specialist, has a new method for growing retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells in the laboratory that has overcome many of the problems that have plagued other researchers, and what needs to be accomplished so that the cells will be transplantable.

With funding from the National Institutes of Health and the UA, Dr. McKay is testing the suitability of his discovery for use in cell-based therapies for age-related macular degeneration (ARMD) and other blinding diseases of the retina. He also is collaborating with the UA Department of Neurology to develop a technique for implanting retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells into the brain for treatment of Parkinson's disease.