In-depth characterisation of Retinal Pigment Epithelium (RPE) cells derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSC).

ABSTRACT: Induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) has widely been appreciated as a promising tool to model human ocular disease emanating from primary RPE pathology. Here, we describe the successful reprogramming of adult human dermal fibroblasts to iPSCs and their differentiation to pure expandable RPE cells with structural and functional features characteristic for native RPE. Fibroblast cultures were established from skin biopsy material and subsequently reprogrammed following polycistronic lentiviral transduction with OCT4, SOX2, KLF4 and L-Myc. Fibroblast-derived iPSCs showed typical morphology, chromosomal integrity and a distinctive stem cell marker profile. Subsequent differentiation resulted in expandable pigmented hexagonal RPE cells. The cells reveale

SUBMITTER: Brandl C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4119585 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature