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TISSUE-SPECIFIC STEM CELLS

Comparative Analysis of Progenitor Cells Isolated from the Iris, Pars Plana, and Ciliary Body of the Adult Porcine Eye

^aDivision of Molecular Therapy, Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London, London, United Kingdom;
^bDevelopmental Biology Unit, Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, United Kingdom;
^cVitreoretinal Service, Moorfields Eye Hospital, London, United Kingdom

Key Words. Stem cell • Progenitor cell • Retinal transplantation • Neural differentiation • Cell culture • Pig • Neurosphere

Correspondence: Robin R. Ali, Ph.D., Division of Molecular Therapy, Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London, 11-43 Bath Street, London, EC1V 9EL U.K. Telephone: +44 (0) 2076086817; Fax: +44 (0) 2076086991; e-mail: r.ali{at}ucl.ac.uk

Received on January 12, 2007; accepted for publication on June 18, 2007.

First published online in STEM CELLS EXPRESS  June 28, 2007.


Photoreceptor loss causes irreversible blindness in many retinal diseases. The identification of suitable donor cell populations is of considerable interest because of their potential use to replace the photoreceptors lost in disease. Stem or progenitor cells that give rise to neurons and glia have been identified in several regions of the brain, including the embryonic retina and the ciliary epithelium of the adult eye, raising the possibility of autologous transplantation. However, there has been little systematic investigation into precisely which regions of the large mammalian adult eye give rise to such cells. Here, we show for the first time using the porcine eye the presence of progenitor cells in additional regions of the adult eye, including the pars plana and iris, regions that, in the human, are readily accessible during routine eye surgery. When cultured in the presence of growth factors, these cells proliferate to form neurospheres comprised of cells expressing retinal progenitor markers. Using an adherent monolayer culture system, these cells could be readily expanded to increase their number more than 1 million-fold and maintain a progenitor phenotype. When grown on the substrate laminin in the presence of serum, cells derived from both spheres and monolayer cultures differentiated into neurons and glia. These results suggest that a population of cells derived from the adult iris, pars plana, and ciliary body of a large mammalian species, the pig, has progenitor properties and neurogenic potential, thereby providing novel sources of donor cells for transplantation studies.

Disclosure of potential conflicts of interest is found at the end of this article.