Amniotic membrane as support for human retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cell growth

Abstract

ABSTRACT.Purpose: The aim of this work was to culture human retinal pigment epithelium (hRPE) cells over human amniotic membrane (hAM). Human AM was studied for its viability as an adequate support for transplantation of an hRPE cell monolayer with preserved cell polarity to the subretinal space. Methods: Human AM was obtained from pregnant women during caesarean section. The hAM was sectioned and the pieces were fixed to culture dishes. Human RPE cells were cultured from adult corneal donors and were seeded over hAM. Phase-contrast photographs were obtained. Selected specimens were processed by transmission electronic microscopy (TEM). Results: The attachment and growth of hRPE cells over hAM was observed. Human RPE cells constituted tight colonies that maintained epithelial phenotype. Using TEM, we identified a monolayer of hRPE cells, with cuboidal to spheroidal morphology. These cells showed integration with the substrate and cellÀcell contacts were detected. Conclusion: Amniotic membrane may be a suitable substrate for hRPE growth. Further studies are required in order to determine the viability of hRPE on hAM in the subretinal space.

Properties of the amniotic membrane for potential use in tissue engineering

“…These experiments suggest a promising new approach for the repair of a prematurely ruptured foetal membrane (Portmann-Lanz et al, 2007). Cultivation and seeding of epithelial cells on an amnion scaffold is a frequently used method for ocular surface and skin reconstruction (Fatima et al, 2006;Yang et al, 2006;Capeans et al, 2003). And lastly, cultivation of endothelial cells on an AM scaffold has also been reported as a potential approach for vascular TE (Ishino et al, 2004;Tsai et al, 2007).…”

A tissue-engineered approach towards retinal repair: Scaffolds for cell transplantation to the subretinal space

“…Alternatives include human amniotic membrane (hAM) and human lens capsule [45,143]. Amniotic membrane is easily obtained from Caesarian sections and supports RPE attachment and monolayer formation with several RPE lines [39,40,42,43,144]. Human lens capsules are available from cataract surgeries and would be an appropriate thickness for an RPE scaffold.…”

“…These membranes and tissues can be isolated from donor tissue and then treated to remove any cellular components [37,38]. Some examples of naturally occurring membranes that have been considered for subretinal implantation are human amniotic membrane (hAM) [39][40][41][42][43], human lens capsule [44,45], and Bruch′s membrane [46]. These scaffolds often mimic natural mechanical properties and are biocompatible [47].…”

Differentiation of Pluripotent Stem Cells into Retinal Pigmented Epithelium

“…Natural biomaterial scaffolds include: human amniotic membranes [110][111][112][113][114], human lens capsule [115,116], and explants of Bruch's membrane [117,118]. Using these unaltered natural tissue supports could lead to issues with disease transmission from host and would be difficult to conform to FDA guidelines for transplantation production [119].…”