Developing a simple method to enhance the generation of cone and rod photoreceptors in pluripotent stem cell ‐derived retinal organoids

In this study, we investigated the impact of stage‐specific addition of retinoic acid (RA), 9‐cis‐retinal, 11‐cis‐retinal, levod opa (l‐DOPA), triiodothyronine (T3), and γ‐secretase inhibitor ((2S)‐N‐[(3,5‐Difluorophenyl)acetyl]‐l‐alanyl‐2‐phenyl]glycine1,1‐dimethylethyl ester2L [DAPT]) in the generation of cone and rod photoreceptors. Our results indicate that addition of RA + T3 during days 90 to 12 0 of differentiation enhanced the generation of rod and S‐cone photoreceptor formation, while the combined addition of DAPT from days 28 to 42 with RA during days 30 to 120 of differentiation led to enhanced generation of L/M‐cones at the expense of rods. l‐DOPA when added together with RA dur ing days 90 to 120 of differentiation also promoted the emergence of S‐cones at the expense of rod photoreceptors. Collectively, these data represent an advance in our ability to direct generation of rod and cone photoreceptors in vitro. Stem Cells2019
Source: Stem Cells - Category: Stem Cells Authors: Tags: Embryonic Stem Cells/Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Source Type: research