The iris is a pigmented disk with a variable aperture which controls the size of the pupil; but also the amount of light reaching the retina. It consists of the anterior limiting layer, the stroma, the dilator muscle layer, and the posterior pigmented epithelium. Human iris pigment epithelial cells (IPEpiC) share the same embryonic origin as retinal pigment epithelial cells (RPE) and thus exhibit similar functional properties as RPE, including turnover of photoreceptors and synthesis of trophic factors. IPEpiC transplanted into the subretinal space inhibited abnormal neovascularization and photoreceptor degeneration. This suggests that IPEpiC transplantation may be useful tools in the future to treat retinal disorders