Modalities for the treatment of degenerative diseases of the retina
View Patent ↗This invention relates to methods for improved cell-based therapies for retinal degeneration and for differentiating human embryonic stem cells and human embryo-derived into retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells and other retinal progenitor cells.
1. A composition comprising isolated human RPE 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 said human RPE cells express RPE65 and bestrophin and wherein said composition is suitable for transplantation or injection into a human patient in need thereof.
2. A composition of claim 1 wherein the human RPE cells are present in a monolayer.
3. A frozen preparation of human RPE 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, which frozen human RPE cells upon thawing are suitable for use in treating a human patient.
4. The composition or preparation of claim 1 or 3 , wherein said human RPE cells express CRALBP, PEDF, RPE65 and bestrophin.
5. The composition or preparation of claim 1 or 3 , which comprises human RPE cells that exhibit a cobblestone, epithelial-like, polygonal appearance.
6. The composition or preparation of claim 1 or 3 , which comprises human RPE cells that express CRALBP, PEDF, RPE65 and bestrophin and exhibit a cobblestone, epithelial-like, polygonal appearance.