Defined culture of human embryonic stem cells and xeno-free derivation of retinal pigmented epithelial cells on a novel, synthetic substrate.

ABSTRACT: Age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a leading cause of blindness, is characterized by the death of the retinal pigmented epithelium (RPE), which is a monolayer posterior to the retina that supports the photoreceptors. Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) can generate an unlimited source of RPE for cellular therapies, and clinical trials have been initiated. However, protocols for RPE derivation using defined conditions free of nonhuman derivatives (xeno-free) are preferred for clinical translation. This avoids exposing AMD patients to animal-derived products, which could incite an immune response. In this study, we investigated the maintenance of hESCs and their differentiation into RPE using Synthemax II-SC, which is a novel, synthetic animal-derived component-free, RGD peptide-containi

SUBMITTER: Pennington BO 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4303358 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature