[PDF][PDF] Establishment of immunodeficient retinal degeneration model mice and functional maturation of human ESC-derived retinal sheets after transplantation

S Iraha, HY Tu, S Yamasaki, T Kagawa, M Goto… - Stem cell reports, 2018 - cell.com
S Iraha, HY Tu, S Yamasaki, T Kagawa, M Goto, R Takahashi, T Watanabe, S Sugita…
Stem cell reports, 2018cell.com
Increasing demand for clinical retinal degeneration therapies featuring human ESC/iPSC-
derived retinal tissue and cells warrants proof-of-concept studies. Here, we established two
mouse models of end-stage retinal degeneration with immunodeficiency, NOG-rd1-2J and
NOG-rd10, and characterized disease progress and immunodeficient status. We also
transplanted human ESC-derived retinal sheets into NOG-rd1-2J and confirmed their long-
term survival and maturation of the structured graft photoreceptor layer, without rejection or …
Summary
Increasing demand for clinical retinal degeneration therapies featuring human ESC/iPSC-derived retinal tissue and cells warrants proof-of-concept studies. Here, we established two mouse models of end-stage retinal degeneration with immunodeficiency, NOG-rd1-2J and NOG-rd10, and characterized disease progress and immunodeficient status. We also transplanted human ESC-derived retinal sheets into NOG-rd1-2J and confirmed their long-term survival and maturation of the structured graft photoreceptor layer, without rejection or tumorigenesis. We recorded light responses from the host ganglion cells using a multi-electrode array system; this result was consistent with whole-mount immunostaining suggestive of host-graft synapse formation at the responding sites. This study demonstrates an application of our mouse models and provides a proof of concept for the clinical use of human ESC-derived retinal sheets.
cell.com