10716
title and abstract
Small molecule mediated proliferation of primary retinal pigment epithelial cells.
Retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells form a monolayer adjacent to the retina and play a critical role in the visual light cycle. Degeneration of this layer results in vision loss, causing retinal disorders such as age-related macular degeneration. Cell transplant therapies exist to restore vision loss; however, risks associated with and an inadequate supply of donor cells have limited their therapeutic success. The identification of factors that proliferate RPE cells ex vivo could provide a renewable source of cells for the treatment of such disorders. We show that a small molecule (WS3) can reversibly proliferate primary RPE cells isolated from fetal and adult human donors. Following withdrawal of WS3, RPE cells differentiate into a functional monolayer, as exhibited by their expression of mature RPE genes and phagocytosis of photoreceptor outer segments. Furthermore, chemically expanded RPE cells preserve vision when transplanted into dystrophic Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) rats, a well-established model of retinal degeneration.