Summary
Published in Investigative Opthalmology & Visual Science (2020), this peer-reviewed study used 3D Petri Dish® micro-molds to form scaffold-free 3D microtissues. Full citation: Schick, Revital, et al. Electrophysiologic Characterization of Developing Human Embryonic Stem Cell-Derived Photoreceptor Precursors
Electrophysiologic Characterization of Developing Human Embryonic Stem Cell-Derived Photoreceptor Precursors
Research Overview
Photoreceptor precursor cells (PRPs) differentiated from human embryonic stem cells are a candidate source for cell replacement therapy to restore vision in degenerative outer-retina diseases such as retinitis pigmentosa and AMD. This study tracked how PRPs mature electrophysiologically over the course of differentiation.
Human embryonic stem cells were differentiated into PRPs, and whole-cell recordings were taken at days 0, 30, 60, and 90 alongside quantitative PCR for the ion channels that shape the electrophysiological response. Calcium imaging with rhod4 was used to visualize intracellular calcium dynamics in response to electrical activation and characterize electrically induced calcium currents.
Key Discoveries
- Electrophysiological maturation of hESC-derived photoreceptor precursors tracked at days 0, 30, 60, and 90
- Whole-cell recordings paired with qPCR of ion channel expression
- Calcium imaging (rhod4) used to characterize electrically induced calcium currents
