We wish to thank the following individuals: Drs. Tim Krohne and Eyal Banin (along with Dr. Mandy Lehmann and David Friedlander) for generous help developing the differentiation protocols. Dr. Felicitas Bucher provided assistance differentiating the RPE cells used in this study. We also acknowledge the National Eye Institute (NEI grants EY11254 and EY021416), California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM grant TR1-01219), and the Lowy Medical Research Institute (LMRI) for very generous funding for this project.

1. Directed Diferenciação de Stem RPE derivado-Cell NOTA: Todos os passos de incubação são realizadas a 37 ° C em 5% de CO 2 <ol style="margin-left: 40px;"><li> Manter as linhas-tronco embrionárias humanas ou quadris (alimentação diária) em meio de manutenção (MM; Tabela 1). Uma vez que as linhas de ter atingido os padrões de controle de qualidade suficientes, mantê-los numa camada de células alimentadoras de rato embrionário (MEFs) semeadas a uma densidade de 250.000 / poço de uma placa de seis bem. Culturas isentas de Xeno também podem ser gerados seguindo o protocolo estabelecido por Tucker et ai. 40. </li><li> Permitir que as colônias de células-tronco para a confluência. </li><li> Mudar para a mídia diferenciação com nicotinamida (DM / NIC; Tabela 1); alimentar diária. </li><li> Depois de três semanas em cultura, mudar para mídia diferenciação com nicotinamida e quer Activin-A ou IDE-1 (DM / NIC / AA ou DM / NIC / IDE1; Tabela 1) para aumentar a diferenciação RPE. </li&gt; <li> Depois de cinco semanas em cultura, voltar para DM / NIC. Mamadas diárias não são mais necessárias uma vez que os indicadores de pH na parada de mídia amarelados o dia após a alimentação. </li><li> Espere por ilhotas de células pigmentadas a parecer que são grandes o suficiente para ser cortado e removido (Ver Figuras 2D-F e 3A). </li></ol> 2. Isolando pigmentadas Ilhotas <ol style="margin-left: 40px;"><li> Revestir os poços de uma placa de 24 poços com uma matriz que imita o ambiente de células natural (livre de xeno é preferível). NOTA: lâminas de córnea e afiados, pinças de ponta fina são muito úteis para a colheita. Toda a folha de células diferenciadas pode separar ao escolher. Evite isso, trabalhar com cuidado e, inicialmente, escolher colônias no centro do prato. </li><li> Preencha como muitos poços da placa de 24 poços com media diferenciação (DM; Tabela 1), conforme necessário. Esta decisão irá depender do número de colónias pigmentadascoletado. </li><li> Em uma capa de cultura de células com um escopo de dissecação, corte manualmente ilhotas pigmentadas. Pique cada ilhota na parte inferior da placa original, utilizando um bisturi em cerca de 2-6 peças e agarrar as partes pigmentadas com uma pinça afiada. </li><li> Transferir 1-2 peças pigmentados em cada um de 24 poços. </li><li> Não mude de mídia por 3-5 dias até que as células aderir, então começar a mudar media três vezes por semana. (Se eles não aderem após este tempo, a probabilidade é bom que eles nunca será). </li><li> Expandir células durante 3-4 semanas em meio de diferenciação (DM; Tabela 1) - Uma imagem de uma cultura típica é mostrada na Figura 3B. As células podem ainda não preencher todo o bem, mas espera mais não parece ajudar. Alimentar as células três vezes por semana. </li><li> Depois de cerca de 3 semanas, remover manualmente grupos de células brancas em grupos, se necessário, com uma pinça afiada. Não faça esta etapa a menos que seja necessário - é fácil introduzir contaminantes. É ideal paratentar obter mais puras populações de RPE das colônias pigmentadas originais no passo 1.6. </li></ol> 3. Passaging-tronco derivadas de células RPE <ol style="margin-left: 40px;"><li> Separar as células com 200 uL com uma solução de dissociação de células (de preferência não-tripsina um reagente que pode ser inactivada por meio de diluição é preferível) para 5-8 min a 37 ° C, e inactivar que por diluição com o DM. Use uma pipeta de 200 mL para lavar todas as células e para voltar a suspender-los (se o bem selecionada contém apenas algumas células, considere reunir as células a partir de duas de 24 poços). </li><li> Centrífuga (800 xg durante 5 min), descartar o sobrenadante e ressuspender em 3 ml de meio MS. </li><li> As células re-placa de um (ou dois) de 24-poços numa única matriz revestido de 6 poços em 3 ml de DM por poço (1: 5 de expansão). </li><li> Expandir durante 1-2 semanas, até que as células estão 90% confluentes ~; uma imagem de uma cultura pura totalmente diferenciada é mostrado na Figura 3C. </li><li> Retire as células com 1 ml de células dissociation solução para cerca de 5-8 min a 37 ° C, inactivar que por diluição com DM, usar 1000 ul pipeta para lavar todas as células e ressuspender-los. </li><li> Centrifugue (800 xg durante 5 min), descartar o sobrenadante e ressuspender em 18 ml de meio MS. </li><li> As células re-placa de 6 poços um em cada seis matriz revestido de 6 poços em 3 ml de DM por poço (1: 6 de expansão) ou de um balão de 2 75 centímetros revestida (1: 7,5 expansão). </li><li> Repita os passos de 3,4-3,8 que for necessário até células suficientes são obtidos. NOTA: Tente recolher o maior número possível de colónias de expansão em vez de planejar para amplificar as culturas via passaging uma vez que cada passagem induz RPE desdiferenciação. </li></ol>

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None of the authors have any commercial disclosures to declare.

Nesse artigo, procuramos traçar os passos para gerar de forma eficiente um grande número de culturas puras iPS-RPE. Nós mostramos anteriormente que utilizam este protocolo diferenciação dirigido com Activin A que podemos gerar iPS-RPE que assemelham-se fortemente hRPE baseado em transcriptomics, proteômica, metabolômica e funcionalidade, e que retardar a degeneração da retina quando implantados em ratos RCS 12,31,32 . O processo de geração de iPS-EPR é demorada, trabalhosa, mas não (Figur...

The various cell types that occupy the retina are organized in a functional architecture. The photoreceptors in the back of the retina are responsible for converting light into electrical impulses through phototransduction. However, phototransduction cannot occur without the coordinated efforts of other neighboring cell types including Mueller glia and retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells. A monolayer of RPE cells partitions the sensory retina from the choriocapillaris, the primary blood supply for photoreceptors, and are ideally situated to control multiple functions important for photoreceptor homeostasis. In fact, the RPE and photoreceptors are so co-dependent they are widely considered to be one single functional unit. (For a review of all the diverse functions of the RPE see Strauss, 20051.) Death or dysfunction of retinal pigment epithelium cells can induce age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the leading cause of permanent vision loss in industrialized countries2-4. 
AMD is a multifactorial disease of RPE, photoreceptors, and the choroidal vasculature; risk factors are diverse and include combinations of environmental and genetic influences5,6. Treatments for AMD are very limited, but one promising potential therapy is RPE cell replacement7,8. While the outcomes have been mixed, the transplantation of RPE cells in AMD patients (and in other patients with retinal degeneration) and also in rodent models of retinal degeneration, has the potential to transiently prevent significant photoreceptor atrophy9-23. (The animal model commonly used for these studies are Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) rats, which harbor a mutation in the MerTK gene. This mutation renders RPE cells incapable of phagocytosing photoreceptor outer segments and promotes retinal degeneration24.) While the reported survival rates of implanted RPE in the subretinal space of RCS rats and mice vary greatly, there is potential for them to survive for several months or years9,10,12,20. 
RPE cells can be obtained in sufficient numbers for transplantation by deriving them from pluripotent stem cells9-14,25-28. Several independent groups have demonstrated that these cells function in similar ways to their somatic counterparts, and long term studies suggest that they are safe upon implantation in rat and mouse disease models9,10,12,14,19,20,25,29-32. The use of induced pluripotent stem cells instead of embryonic stem cells may be advantageous since ethical issues and immunological challenges associated with allogeneic RPE may be obviated33,34. Another exciting application for iPS technology is disease modeling35. The ability to interrogate large numbers of RPE cells derived from patients with RPE diseases could be invaluable for understanding their molecular bases. This type of study has been performed recently with Best disease patient RPE and could pave the way for similar studies of inherited maculopathies36. 
The derivation of RPE from stem cells is a relatively simple process and can be done entirely in xeno-free conditions. The simplest strategy is to derive monolayers of RPE cells spontaneously, however, the yield can be significantly improved using directed differentiation techniques. But these techniques involve the use of exogenous protein factors that can be expensive and often generated in bacteria or other non-human sources10,12,37. In our studies we followed an established protocol10 that utilizes nicotinamide and Activin A, a signaling factor that has been shown to be sufficient for RPE specification38. Here we will demonstrate that the small molecule IDE-1 can adequately replace Activin A, thus reducing costs and alleviating concerns associated with the use of recombinant proteins39. Additionally, we utilize xeno-free serum replacement, and we culture the differentiating RPE cells on a synthetic xeno-free substrate. RPE cells have been shown previously to differentiate very effectively using this approach40.
When differentiated as a monolayer, we visualize pigmented colonies containing RPE cells after as early as five weeks12. Once they reach sufficient size, they can be manually excised and transferred to another dish for expansion. RPE cells are notorious for dedifferentiating with each passage, and the use of anything older than five passages should be avoided (we find that sufficient numbers of cells for characterization and transplantation in animal models can easily be generated after two or three passages). Once fully differentiated, we employ multiple techniques to characterize the cells anatomically and functionally to ensure that they will serve as adequate replacements for diseased RPE. The description of these techniques, and protocol for implanting the iPS-RPE in the subretinal space of rodents, are beyond the scope of this methods paper and have been previously published12,32,41. 
While developing standardized protocols for effective derivation of iPS-RPE is clearly important for the clinics, there is also significant preclinical work to still be done in animal models. There are concerns regarding immunogenicity of iPS-derived cells, and multiple different implantation techniques, including implanting cells on artificial substrates, are being explored42,43. For these reasons, we feel that the publication of standardized protocols is beneficial to facilitate both clinical and preclinical studies. Especially if direct comparisons will be done of iPS-RPE cells derived in different labs by different research groups.

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efficient derivation of retinal pigment epithelium cells from stem cells

No cure has been discovered for age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the leading cause of vision loss in people over the age of 55. AMD is complex multifactorial disease with an unknown etiology, although it is largely thought to occur due to death or dysfunction of the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), a monolayer of cells that underlies the retina and provides critical support for photoreceptors. RPE cell replacement strategies may hold great promise for providing therapeutic relief for a large subset of AMD patients, and RPE cells that strongly resemble primary human cells (hRPE) have been generated in multiple independent labs, including our own. In addition, the uses for iPS-RPE are not limited to cell-based therapies, but also have been used to model RPE diseases. These types of studies may not only elucidate the molecular bases of the diseases, but also serve as invaluable tools for developing and testing novel drugs. We present here an optimized protocol for directed differentiation of RPE from stem cells. Adding nicotinamide and either Activin A or IDE-1, a small molecule that mimics its effects, at specific time points, greatly enhances the yield of RPE cells. Using this technique we can derive large numbers of low passage RPE in as early as three months.

Os passos descritos neste manuscrito, como representado na Figura 1, pode ser facilmente utilizada para gerar a partir de células estaminais do EPR ​​como relatado anteriormente 10,12. Após manter as linhas de iPS para várias semanas, as colónias pigmentadas começam a aparecer nas colônias após 5-7 semanas (sete semanas culturas antigas são mostrados na Figura 2A-C). Estas colónias podem continuar a crescer durante semanas como as culturas são mantidas. Uma vez ...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Efficient Derivation of Retinal Pigment Epithelium Cells from Stem Cells at JoVE.com

Efficient Derivation of Retinal Pigment Epithelium Cells from Stem Cells

Stem cell-derived retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells may be used for multiple applications including cell-based therapies for retinal degeneration, disease modeling, and drug studies. Here we present a simple protocol for reproducibly deriving RPE from stem cells.

Derivação eficiente do epitélio pigmentar da retina células de células-tronco

No cure has been discovered for age-related macular degeneration  (AMD), the leading cause of vision loss in people over the age of 55. AMD is complex ...

efficient-derivation-retinal-pigment-epithelium-cells-from-stem

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9.1K visualizações.  The Scripps Research Institute. Stem cell-derived retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells may be used for multiple applications including cell-based therapies for retinal degeneration, disease modeling, and drug studies. Here we present a simple protocol for reproducibly deriving RPE from stem cells.