ROCK Inhibition extends passage of human embryonic stem cell derived retinal pigmented epithelium

ABSTRACT: Human embryonic stem cell derived retinal pigmented epithelial cells (hESC-RPE) are in clinical trials for the treatment of macular diseases. Currently, these cells take over three months to derive and subsequent months to mature and characterize. After only five to six passages the cells begin to undergo an epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition and are unsuitable for cellular therapies. We describe a novel passaging protocol and show that inhibition of Rho-associated, coiled coil containing protein kinases (ROCK1 and ROCK2) using Y-27632, allows extended passage of hESC-RPE in serum-free culture with maintenance of the RPE phenotype. After 30 population doublings, hESC-RPE at passage 13 maintain normal karyotype, display typical, polarized epithelial morphology, and continue to express RPE

ORGANISM(S): Homo sapiens

SUBMITTER: Roxanne Croze 

PROVIDER: E-GEOD-56618 | biostudies-arrayexpress |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-arrayexpress