title: Retinal pigment epithelium.
abstract: Retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) arises from neuroectoderm and plays a key role in support of photoreceptor functions. Several degenerative eye diseases, such as macular degeneration or retinitis pigmentosa, are associated with impaired RPE function that may lead to photoreceptor loss and blindness. RPE derived from human embryonic stem (hES) cells can be an important source of this tissue for transplantation to cure such degenerative diseases. This chapter describes differentiation of hES cells to RPE, its subsequent isolation, maintenance in culture, and characterization.
authors.affiliation: Advanced Cell Technology, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA.
authors.forename: Irina
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Klimanskaya
mesh_terms: D018929:Cell Culture Techniques / Q000379:methods; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology; D053595:Embryonic Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology / Q000637:transplantation*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008268:Macular Degeneration / Q000473:pathology; D010857:Pigment Epithelium of Eye / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology; D010920:Placenta; D011247:Pregnancy; D012174:Retinitis Pigmentosa / Q000473:pathology; D014404:Tubulin / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D014404:Tubulin