Characterization of iris pigment epithelial cell for auto cell transplantation

To establish auto iris pigment epithelial (IPE) transplantation, we charact erized the properties of IPE cells and the method of culture using auto ser um. Monkey and human IPE cells were obtained and cultured in several condit ions, using auto, mouse, rabbit, bovine, or human serum. Immunocytochemical study was performed to confirm that the cells were epithelial in origin. T he proliferation rate of the IPE was also calculated from fresh human IPE c ells, which were obtained during filtering glaucoma surgery. Proliferation rate was also compared to that of retinal pigment epiahelial (RPE) cells. R everse-transcriptase and polymerase chain reaction for melanogenesis was pe rformed, and the amount of pigment in the IPE cells was also calculated. Mo use and rabbit sera were not effective for the monkey IPE cell culture. Con versely, the cells grew well in the medium with auto, bovine, or human seru m. Human IPE cells grew exponentially by the described methods and reached to 60,000 cells after about 4-5 weeks. When we compared them by proliferati on rate, IPE cells were less proliferative than RPE cells. The gene express ion for melanogenesis and the amount of pigment in the IPE gradually decrea sed through successive passages. Transplantation has been tried for the tre atment of age-related macular degeneration using RPE from fetus or from eye bank eyes. However, focal rejection may play an important role in the clin ical results. The establishment of auto IPE cell transplantation may improv e the problem of rejection. In the present study, we established auto IPE c ell culture using auto serum. The cultured IPE cell showed pigment epitheli al cell properties until around five passages in both human and monkey.