AI Article Synopsis
- - Retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) are crucial for connecting the eye to the brain, and their dysfunction is linked to various blindness-related conditions.
- - Previous research showed that RGCs can be created from human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs), but these cells were not fully mature.
- - This study found that astrocytes play an important role in speeding up the maturation process of hPSC-derived RGCs, leading to enhancements in their shape and functionality over time.
Article Abstract
Retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) form the connection between the eye and the brain, with this connectivity disrupted in numerous blinding disorders. Previous studies have demonstrated the ability to derive RGCs from human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs); however, these cells exhibited some characteristics that indicated a limited state of maturation. Among the many factors known to influence RGC development in the retina, astrocytes are known to play a significant role in their functional maturation. Thus, efforts of the current study examined the functional maturation of hPSC-derived RGCs, including the ability of astrocytes to modulate this developmental timeline. Morphological and functional properties of RGCs were found to increase over time, with astrocytes significantly accelerating the functional maturation of hPSC-derived RGCs. The results of this study clearly demonstrate the functional and morphological maturation of RGCs in vitro, including the effects of astrocytes on the maturation of hPSC-derived RGCs.
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| http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6373493 | PMC |
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.stemcr.2018.12.010 | DOI Listing |
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