发布: 2017年04月05日第7卷第7期 DOI: 10.21769/BioProtoc.2212 浏览次数: 8939
评审: Letizia De ChiaraAnonymous reviewer(s)
Abstract
In glaucoma, the output neurons of the retina, the retinal ganglion cells (RGCs), progressively degenerate, leading to irreversible blindness (Ahram et al., 2015). The ex vivo stem cell method to replace degenerated RGCs remains a potentially viable approach (Levin et al., 2004). However, the success of the approach depends upon the ability of the de novo generated RGCs to connect over the long distance with specific targets in the central visual pathway. Here, we describe a protocol to examine the target specificity of the de novo generated RGCs using a co-culture approach where the RGCs neurites are allowed to choose between specific (superior colliculus; SC) and non-specific (inferior colliculus; IC) tectal targets.
Keywords: Glaucoma ( 青光眼)Background
Glaucoma is one of the most prevalent causes of irreversible blindness worldwide (Tham et al., 2014). It is characterized by a progressive degeneration of RGCs, the main output neurons of the retina, which connects with the brain for visual perception. Unfortunately, there is no treatment currently available to address RGCs degeneration. The management approaches, whether surgical, pharmacological or neuro-protective do not reverse the degenerative changes (Danesh-Meyer, 2011). Given this intractable situation, stem cell therapy has emerged as a potentially viable approach to replace dead RGCs. The success of this approach requires, 1) directed differentiation of functional and non-tumorigenic RGCs from pluripotent stem cells and 2) target specificity of the de novo generated RGCs. Our lab has recently demonstrated a chemically defined method that allows directed differentiation of RGCs from embryonic stem (ES)/induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells by recapitulating developmental mechanism (Teotia et al., 2016). The resulting RGCs are stable, functional, and non-tumorigenic. However, the success of the de novo generated cells in the ex vivo stem cell approach to glaucomatous RGC degeneration depends upon their axons ability to find proper targets in the central visual pathways. When transplanted, axons of RGCs must navigate within the retina to exit as optic nerve, decide to cross or not to cross at the optic chiasm, and reach specific targets for establishing retinotopic connections. We have demonstrated that ES/iPS cell-derived RGCs possess target specificity. Here, we describe in detail a co-culture experimental paradigm to test the target specificity of the de novo generated RGCs.
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文章信息
版权信息
© 2017 The Authors; exclusive licensee Bio-protocol LLC.
如何引用
Teotia, P., Van Hook, M. J. and Ahmad, I. (2017). A Co-culture Model for Determining the Target Specificity of the de novo Generated Retinal Ganglion Cells. Bio-protocol 7(7): e2212. DOI: 10.21769/BioProtoc.2212.
分类
干细胞 > 成体干细胞 > 神经干细胞
细胞生物学 > 细胞分离和培养 > 细胞分化
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