The application of microfluidics technologies to the study of retinal function and response holds great promise for development of new and improved treatments for patients with degenerative retinal diseases. Restoration of vision via retinal transplantation therapy has been severely limited by the low numbers of motile cells observed post transplantation. Using modern soft lithographic techniques, we have developed the μRetina, a novel and convenient biomimetic microfluidics device capable of examing the migratory behavior of retinal lineage cells within biomimetic geometries of the human and mouse retina. Coupled computer simulations and experimental validations were used to characterize and confirm the formation of chemical concentration gradients within the μRetina, while real-time images within the device captured radial and theta cell migration in response to concentration gradients of stromal derived factor (SDF-1), a known chemoattractant. Our data underscore how the μRetina can be used to examine the concentration-dependent migration of retinal progenitors in order to enhance current therapies, as well as develop novel migration-targeted treatments.
Strategies to replace retinal photoreceptors lost to damage or disease rely upon the migration of replacement cells transplanted into sub-retinal spaces. A significant obstacle to the advancement of cell transplantation for retinal repair is the limited migration of transplanted cells into host retina. In this work, we examine the adhesion and displacement responses of retinal progenitor cells on extracellular matrix substrates found in retina as well as widely used in the design and preparation of transplantable scaffolds. The data illustrate that retinal progenitor cells exhibit unique adhesive and displacement dynamics in response to poly-l-lysine, fibronectin, laminin, hyaluronic acid, and Matrigel. These findings suggest that transplantable biomaterials can be designed to improve cell integration by incorporating extracellular matrix substrates that affect the migratory behaviors of replacement cells.
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