title: [In vitro transdifferentiation of adult human retinal pigment epithelium cells to neuro-like cells induced by blocking VEGF expression].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the effects of blocking VEGF expression on the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) in vitro.
  
  
  METHODS
  RPE was transfected with plasmid encoding anti-sense of VEGF by lipofectin. RPE clones with stable expression of anti-sense of VEGF were screened by neomycin (G418). The changes of RPE and the level of VEGF secreted by RPE were observed by immunofluorescence immunohistochemical staining, Elisa and inverted-microscope.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Transdifferentiation of cultured adult human retinal pigment epithelium cells to neurons was induced by blocking VEGF expression. The transdifferentiation was a direct phenotypic change from RPE cell to neurons without cell differentiation. The transdifferentiated neurons showed up-regulated expression of VEGF receptor 2 (Flk-1) and expressed several markers of retinal ganglion cell, including Thy1.1 and neurofilament.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Blocking of VEGF expression and up-regulation of Flk-1 can induce transdifferetiation of adult human retinal pigment epithelium cells into ganglion cells.
authors.affiliation: Central Experimental laboratory, The First People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200080, China.
authors.forename: Ji-hong
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Ping
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Qian
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Huang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D006801:Humans; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology*; D016376:Oligonucleotides, Antisense; D010857:Pigment Epithelium of Eye / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D012160:Retina / Q000166:cytology; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D016376:Oligonucleotides, Antisense; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A