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Abstract #125473 Published in IGR 25-2

Differentiation of primary retinal progenitor cells into retinal ganglion-like cells using low dose cytarabine

The death of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) is a key factor in the pathophysiology of all forms of glaucoma. RGC culture serves as a simple system for establishing and testing candidate therapies. This study aimed to explore the differentiation of primary retinal progenitor cells (RPCs) into RGC-like cells induced by low-dose cytarabine (Ara-C). RPCs were isolated from the retina of newborn rats and cultured in vitro. Different concentrations of Ara-C were added to the culture medium to induce the differentiation of RPCs into RGC-like cells. Differentiation efficiency was assessed through immunofluorescence staining and cell counting. The addition of Ara-C significantly increased the number of Brn3a/RBPMS double-positive cells. The RPC-RGCs induced displayed characteristic features of RGCs, with roughly 80.9 % ± 6.2 % of the cells positive for both TuJ1/NeuN and 77.5 % ± 4.9 % for Brn3a/RBPMS. The study demonstrates that the addition of Ara-C to primary cultures of rat RPCs can enhance their differentiation into RGC-like cells, providing a simple and rapid method for obtaining RGC-like cells with a relatively high purity. This method shows considerable promise for advancing glaucoma research and potential therapeutic strategies to restore vision after RGC loss.

Department of Ophthalmology, Xi'an No.1 Hospital, the First Affiliated Hospital of Northwest University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710002, China; Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710061, China; Shaanxi Institute of Ophthalmology, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710002, China.

Classification:

15 Miscellaneous

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