Transplantation of photoreceptor precursor cells (PPCs) differentiated from human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) is a promising approach to treat common blinding diseases such as age-related macular degeneration and retinitis pigmentosa. However, existing PPC generation methods are inefficient. To enhance differentiation protocols for rapid and high-yield production of PPCs, we focused on optimizing the handling of the cells by including feeder-independent growth of hESCs, using size-controlled embryoid bodies (EBs), and addition of triiodothyronine (T3) and taurine to the differentiation medium, with subsequent removal of undifferentiated cells via negative cell-selection. Our novel protocol produces higher yields of PPCs than previously reported while reducing the time required for differentiation, which will help understand retinal diseases and facilitate large-scale preclinical trials.
CITATION STYLE
Yanai, A., Laver, C., Joe, A. W., & Gregory-Evans, K. (2015). Efficient production of photoreceptor precursor cells from human embryonic stem cells. Methods in Molecular Biology, 1307, 357–369. https://doi.org/10.1007/7651_2013_57
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