Derivation of three induced pluripotent stem cell lines under feeder-free culture conditions from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of Indian patients suffering from inherited retinal diseases carrying different mutations.

Abstract

Inherited retinal diseases (IRDs) are clinically and genetically heterogenous diseases affecting the neural retina and retinal pigment epithelium resulting in irreversible blindness. Owing to advantages like ease of access for treatment, one eye being a perfect natural control for the other, and immune privileged environment, research exploring treatment for these retinal diseases has advanced remarkably. We describe the generation of induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) lines from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of three patients with IRDs. These well-characterized iPSC lines provide an ideal platform to investigate normal and pathological retinogenesis for drug screening and personalized cell therapy.