Sense and serendipity aid RPE generation.
Retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) is a valuable cell type for a number of blinding disorders. In this issue of Cell Stem Cell, Idelson et al. (2009) use Nicotinamide and Activin A to markedly improve RPE yield from human embryonic stem cells.
New York Neural Stem Cell Institute, One Discovery Drive, Rensselaer, NY 12144, USA.
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D030201:Activin Receptors, Type I / Q000494:pharmacology; D030301:Activin Receptors, Type II / Q000494:pharmacology; D028341:Activins / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects; D002460:Cell Line; D017690:Cell Transplantation; D053595:Embryonic Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000648:ultrastructure; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000648:ultrastructure; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D051381:Rats; D055213:Retinal Pigment Epithelium / Q000166:cytology*; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000494:pharmacology
D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; C422405:activin A; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2; D028341:Activins; D030201:Activin Receptors, Type I; D030301:Activin Receptors, Type II