Methods for producing enriched populations of human retinal pigment epithelium cells

1. A method of treating retinal disease or condition in an human subject, comprising transplanting into the eye of said subject a composition comprising an allogeneic human pigmented cell population comprising bestrophin+/CRALBP+ cells obtained by in vitro differentiation of human pluripotent cells that express Oct-4, alkaline phosphatase, SSEA-3, SSEA-4, TRA-I-60, and TRA-I-81, wherein the human pigmented cell population has a normal karyotype.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said human pigmented cell population comprises cells that are bestrophin+, CRALBP+, PEDF+, and express RPE65.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein said human pigmented cell population comprises cells that are Pax6+.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein said retinal disease or condition is a disease of retinal degeneration.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the retinal disease or condition comprises pathologic myopia, retinitis pigmentosa, RPE detachment, retinal dysplasia, retinal atrophy, retinopathy, macular dystrophy, cone dystrophy, cone-rod dystrophy, Malattia Leventinese, Doyne honeycomb dystrophy, Sorsby's dystrophy, Stargardt disease, pattern/butterfly dystrophies, Best vitelliform dystrophy, North Carolina dystrophy, central areolar choroidal dystrophy, angioid streaks, or a toxic maculopathy.

6. The method of claim 1 , which comprises transplantation of the human pigmented cell population by vitrectomy surgery into the subretinal space of the eye of said human subject.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein said human pigmented cell population is transplanted into the eye of said human subject in a suspension format or on a substrate or matrix having said human pigmented cell population disposed thereon.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the retinal disease or condition is macular degeneration.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the retinal disease or condition is Stargardt disease.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the retinal disease or condition is age-related macular degeneration.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the retinal disease or condition is retinitis pigmentosa.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein said human pigmented cell population comprises pigmented cells that exhibit a cobblestone, polygonal appearance characteristic of epithelial cells in culture.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein said human pigmented cell population is prepared by a method comprising:

a) allowing hES cell cultures to overgrow on MEF and form a thick multilayer of cells, or forming an embryoid body (EB) from hES cells;

b) culturing the multilayer of cells or EB for a sufficient time for the appearance of pigmented cells; and

c) isolating and culturing the pigmented cells from the resultant cell cultures, thereby obtaining a human pigmented cell population comprising CRALBP+/bestrophin+cells.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein said culturing in step (b) comprises culturing the hES cells in a medium lacking exogenously added FGF, lacking exogenously added LIF and lacking exogenously added PLASMANATE® (an aqueous solution containing 5 g plasma proteins per 100 mL, buffered with sodium carbonate and stabilized with 0.005 M sodium caprylate and 0.004 M acetyltryptophan, said plasma proteins comprising approximately 88% normal human albumin, 12% alpha and beta globulins, and not more than 1% gamma globulin, and containing sodium 145 mEq/L, potassium 0.25 mEq/L, and chloride 100 mEq/L).

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the duration of culturing in step (b) is at least 6 weeks.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein the duration of culturing in step (b) is between about 6 weeks and about 8 weeks.

17. The method of claim 13 , wherein the duration of culturing in step (b) is between about 3 months and about 5 months.

18. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method restores visual acuity in the subject.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein visual acuity is restored to a moderate level.