The retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) is a monolayer of highly specialized cells that help maintain the chemical composition of its surrounding subretinal and choroidal extracellular spaces. Retinal cells (photoreceptors in particular), RPE, and choroidal endothelial cells together help ensure a homeostatically stable metabolic environment with exquisitely sensitive functional responses to light. Aging and disease of the RPE impairs its supportive functions contributing to the progressive loss of photoreceptors and vision. The prevalence of RPE associated retinal degenerations has prompted researchers to develop new therapies aimed at replacing the affected RPE with induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) or embryonic stem cell (ESC) derived RPE. Despite recent attempts to characterize stem cell derived RPE and to truly authenticate RPE for clinical applications, there remains a significant unmet need to explore the heterogeneity resulting from donor to donor variation as well as the variations inherent in the current processes of cell manufacture. Additionally, it remains unknown whether the starting cell type influences the resulting RPE phenotype following reprogramming and differentiation. To address these questions, we performed a comprehensive evaluation (genomic, structural, and functional) of 15 iPSC derived RPE originating from different donors and tissues and compiled a reference data set for the authentication of iPSC-derived RPE and RPE derived from other stem cell sources.
Keywords: cell authentication; cellular therapy; genetic differences; induced pluripotent stem cells; retinal pigment epithelium.