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Vision Research Symposium Conference Presentation
1. The use of embryonic stem cells in regenerative medicine
Robert Lanza, MD
VP Research & Scientific Development
Advanced Cell Technology
and Adjunct Professor
Wake Forest University School of Medicine
6. Anatomy & Function of RPE
• Immune barrier
• Absorption of stray light
• Vit A metabolism & transport
• Phagocytosis of shed
photoreceptor segments
FUNCTIONS OF RPE
8. Animal models of RPE
dysfunction
• Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) rat (MERTK mutation,
phagocytosis-impaired)
• Mouse models: RPE65 -/-; rd-mouse (cGMP-
phosphodiesterase mutation, loss of rods)
• Dog (Briard, RPE65 mutation)
• Monkey (rhesus monkey with naturally occurring macular
degeneration)
9. Transplantation of RPE in Humans
Associated problemsSources of RPE cells
* autologous tissue
* cell lines
* donor tissue (adult, fetal) safety ethical Batch-to-batch
variation
may have impaired function limited supply
Potential tumorigenicity
10. Advantages of ECS-derived Tissues for Regenerative
Medicine
• Unlimited supply
• Can be derived under GMP conditions pathogen-
free
• Can be produced with minimal batch to batch
variation
• Can be thoroughly characterized to ensure optimal
performance
11.
12. [All hES cell lines studied reproducibly generated RPE lines
that could be passaged, characterized, and expanded]
•WiCell hES cell lines (23 RPE lines generated)
WA01 WA09
WA07
•Harvard hES cell lines (22 RPE lines generated)
HUES1 HUES6
HUES2 HUES7
HUES3 HUES8
HUES5 HUES10
•ACT hES cell lines (25 RPE lines generated)
MA01 MA03 MAJ1
MA04 MA09
MA14 MA40
RPE can be generated from hES cells
13. x400
x200
hES-RPE express RPE markers (bestrophin &
CRALBP)
-- 32
-- 46
-- 78
CRALBP
Mw
a b c
bestrophin
bestrophin
CRALBP
Immunostainin
g
Western blot
16. Stages of RPE isolation from spontaneously differentiating hES cells
35 mm plate one of the clustersone of the clusters cell suspension at plating
4 days
x100x200
x200
7 days
x200
Passage 1 -- 25 daysPassage 1 -- 25 days
x200
x0.75
17. hES-RPE vs. its in vivo counterpart
RPE hES-RPE
cobblestone, pigmented
transdifferentiation-differentiation
phagocytosis
molecular markers
RPE65
CRALBP
bestrophin
PEDF
MERTK
20. RPE transplantation into subretinal space of RCS rats
(in collaboration with Raymond Lund, University of Utah)
RCS rats naturally become blind in several weeks
due to RPE degeneration and photoreceptor death
Study design
cell line RPE (H9)
Control: culture medium
Tests:
head tracking (behavior)
electroretinogram (ERG)
histology
In vitro assessment:
molecular markers of RPE
morphology and behavior
21. 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3
R
PE65
bestrophin
C
R
A
LB
P
PED
F
Pax6
G
A
PD
H
H9 RPE used for transplantation in RCS rats
22. cone
hES-RPE
ERG at P60
Amplitude(uV)
40
a-hES-RPE a-sham b-hES-RPE b-sham cone
b-sham
180
0
20
60
80
120
140
160
100
hES-RPE transplantation into subretinal space of RCS rats
Optomotor at P100
hES-RPE Sham Untreated
0.5
0.3
0.4
0.2
0
0.1
Relativeacuity(c/d)
23.
24.
25. Summary
• hES-RPE is similar to its in vivo counterpart by multiple parameters
(morphology, behavior, phagocytosis, molecular markers)
• hES-RPE can be reproducibly generated from hES cells
• hES-RPE attenuates photoreceptor loss in animal model of retinal degeneration
hES-RPE advantages
• Minimize batch-to-batch variation
• Can be derived under GMP conditions
• Can be produced from feeder-free hES cells
• Can be easily generated in large quantities
(for pathogen & safety assessment, and pre-clinical & clinical studies)
26. hES-RPE: ongoing pre-clinical studies
and research goals
• functional studies in animal models with different batches of cells
(more and less differentiated, different passages, different lines)
• finding reliable markers for predicting therapeutic value
of newly generated cells
• studies of hES-RPE survival on Bruch’s membrane
• production of hES-RPE under GMP conditions
• dosage and safety studies of hES-RPE in animal models
34. Is it possible to generate ES cells without destroying
embryos?
• The most basic objection to ES cell research is that it deprives
embryos
of any further potential to develop into complete human beings
• For a decade, PGD has been used successfully to remove a single
cell (blastomere) for genetic testing without interfering with the
developmental potential of the biopsied embryo. Over 2,000
healthy babies have been born using this procedure
• Question: Can such a biopsied cell be used to generate ES cells?
41. Derivation of hES Cells From Single Blastomeres
Blastomere biopsy
GFP hESs
Feeders
Feeders
1 or 2 single blastomeres biopsied
and co-cultured with parent embryo
Multiple single blastomeres
biopsied and co-cultured together
42. Blastomere divided outgrowth first passage
second passage established line
Stages of Derivation of hES Cells From Single Blastomere
45. In Vitro Differentiation Into Cells of Specific Therapeutic Interest
RPECapillary structures
Ac-LDL
Bestroph
in
MA01 (blastomere-derived hESC line) generated hematopoietic progenitors 5-10 times
more efficiently than H9 and 3-5 times more efficiently than H1
Ac-LDL
MA09 (blastomere-derived hESC line) generated vascular/endothelial progenitors 1-
2 times more efficiently than H1 and H9
MA01 & MA09 (blastomere-derived hESC lines) generated neural progenitors without the
need for
EB-intermediates, stromal feeder layers, or low-density passaging