Pluripotent Stem Cell-Based Therapies in Combination with Substrate for the Treatment of Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Abstract

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of blindness in the western world, which severely decreases the quality of life in the patients and places an economic burden on their families and society. The disease is caused by the dysfunction of a specialized cell layer in the back of the eye called the retinal pigmented epithelium (RPE). Pluripotent stem cells can provide an unlimited source of RPE, and laboratories around the world are investigating their potential as therapies for AMD. To ensure the precise delivery of functional RPE to the diseased site, some groups are developing a therapy composed of mature RPE monolayers on a supportive scaffold for transplantation as an alternative to injecting a single-cell suspension. This review summarizes methods of generating RPE from pluripotent stem cells, compares biodegradable and biostable materials as scaffolds, and describes the specific combination of human embryonic stem cell-derived RPE on Parylene-C membranes, which is scheduled to begin clinical trials in the United Sates in 2016. Stem cellderived RPE monolayers on scaffolds hold great promise for the treatment of AMD and other retinal diseases.

Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells: Development in the Ophthalmologic Field

“…As mentioned above, the RPE layer is crucial to the survival and function of photoreceptors; thus, dysfunction of the RPE can be a disease-initiating event and is thought to associate with age-related macular degeneration [19] and retinitis pigmentosa [20]. The therapeutic potential of RPE cell transplantation has thus been investigated both in animal models and in humans for a long time [21].…”

Rapid, Directed Differentiation of Retinal Pigment Epithelial Cells from Human Embryonic or Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells

“…Generation of RPE from pluripotent stem cells may facilitate research to understand these eye diseases, and can provide an unlimited source of RPE for cell therapies 2 . In fact, multiple clinical trials are underway using RPE derived from pluripotent stem cells 3 .…”

Bioactive Glass Nanoparticles-Loaded Poly(ɛ-caprolactone) Nanofiber as Substrate for ARPE-19 Cells

“…This substrate protects the RPE monolayer from the diseased Bruch's membrane, which prevents cell adhesion and proliferation [1]. Many biomaterials have been evaluated as substrate for RPE transplantation, including gelatin [8,9], biodegradable polyurethanes [2], parylene-C [10,11], plasma polymers of acrylic acid, allyl amine, and allyl alcohol [12].…”