Abstract
Subretinal transplantation of functioning retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells may have the potential to preserve or restore vision in patients affected by blinding diseases such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD). One of the critical steps in achieving this is the ability to grow a functioning retinal pigment epithelium, which may need a substrate on which to grow and to aid transplantation. Tailoring the physical and chemical properties of the substrate should help the engineered tissue to function in the long term. The purpose of the study was to determine whether a functioning monolayer of RPE cells could be produced on expanded polytetrafluoroethylene substrates modified by either an ammonia plasma treatment or an n-Heptylamine coating, and whether the difference in surface chemistries altered the extracellular matrix the cells produced. Primary human RPE cells were able to form a functional, cobblestone monolayer on both substrates, but the formation of an extracellular matrix to exhibit a network structure took months, whereas on non-porous substrates with the same surface chemistry, a similar appearance was observed after a few weeks. This study suggests that the surface chemistry of these materials may not be the most critical factor in the development of growth of a functional monolayer of RPE cells as long as the cells can attach and proliferate on the surface. This has important implications in the design of strategies to optimise the clinical outcomes of subretinal transplant procedures.Graphical
Highlights
The retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) is a monolayer of cells located between the underlying choriocapillaris and the overlying neurosensory retina and is critical for the survival and function of both these structures
The aims of the study were to determine whether the functionality conferred by these two modification methods could support a differentiated monolayer of retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells, and whether the difference in surface chemistries resulted in any alteration in the functional behaviour of the cells and the Extracellular matrix (ECM) that they produce over time
The surface chemistry of the ePTFE resulting from these two processes is very different they both support a functional monolayer of primary human RPE cells and that the underlying basement membrane produced on both surfaces in the longer term is similar
Summary
The retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) is a monolayer of cells located between the underlying choriocapillaris and the overlying neurosensory retina and is critical for the survival and function of both these structures. Degenerative changes in the RPE monolayer and its underlying basement membrane (Bruch’s membrane) lead to Age-related macular degeneration (AMD). AMD is the leading cause of blindness in subjects older than 50 years of age in the developed world. There are two types of AMD: neovascular (wet) and non-neovascular (dry). Despite substantial progress in the development of new therapies for wet AMD, the severe visual impairment associated with geographic atrophy in dry AMD remains untreatable [1, 2].
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