Adult human periodontal ligament-derived stem cells delay retinal degeneration and maintain retinal function in RCS rats

Stem Cell Research & Therapy

Herman S. Cheung¹  Dawei Cui²  Xiao Chen²  Yu Chen²  Li Huang²  Haibin Tian³  Guo-tong Xu³  Weiguo Wang⁴  Zhe Zhou⁵  Zongyi Li⁶ 

[1] Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Miami;Department of Laboratory Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University;Department of Ophthalmology of Shanghai Tenth People’s Hospital, and Laboratory of Clinical Visual Science of Tongji Eye Institute, and Department of Pharmacology, Tongji University School of Medicine;Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University;Key Laboratory of Precision Diagnosis and Treatment for Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Tumor of Zhejiang Province;Qingdao University;

关键词: Periodontal ligament;    Stem cells;    Transplantation;    Retinal degeneration;    Therapy;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s13287-017-0731-y

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

Abstract Background Retinal degeneration (RD) is a leading cause of irreversible blindness, affecting millions of people worldwide. Stem cell transplantation has been considered a promising therapy for retinal degenerative diseases. This study aimed to investigate the therapeutic potential of human periodontal ligament-derived stem cells (hPDLSCs) for intervention in the progress of this degeneration in the Royal College Surgeons (RCS) rat. Methods hPDLSCs were injected into the subretinal space of 3-week-old RCS rats. Control animals received a phosphate-buffered saline injection or were untreated. Retinal function was assessed by electroretinography recording. Eyes were collected afterward for histology and molecular studies. Results Retinal function maintenance was observed at 2 weeks and persisted for up to 8 weeks following hPDLSC transplantation. Retinal structure preservation was demonstrated in hPDLSC-transplanted eyes at 4 and 8 weeks following transplantation, as reflected in the preservation of outer nuclear layer thickness and gene expression of Rho, Crx, and Opsin. The percentage of terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling-positive apoptotic photoreceptors was significantly lower in the hPDLSC-injected retinas than in those of the control groups. hPDLSCs were also found to express multiple neurotrophic factors, including vascular endothelial growth factor, bioactive basic fibroblast growth factor, brain-derived neurotrophic factor, neurotrophin-3, insulin-like growth factor 1, nerve growth factor, and glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor. Conclusions Our findings suggest that hPDLSC transplantation is effective in delaying photoreceptor loss and provides significant preservation of retinal function in RCS rats. This study supports further exploration of hPDLSCs for treating RD.

【 授权许可】

Unknown