(F1281) Comparison of the iPSCs and iPSC-Derived Retinal Pigment Epithelial Cells in Treating Sodium Iodate-Induced Dry-Type Age-Related Macular Degeneration
Associate Professor National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taiwan (Republic of China)
Abstract: Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a leading cause of vision loss, with dry AMD being the most prevalent type, accounting for approximately 0.37% of global cases in 2020. Currently, there is no cure for dry AMD, and treatment focuses on disease prevention and slowing disease progression. The emergence of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) and iPSC-derived retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells offers a promising avenue for treating dry AMD through organ transplantation, replacing dysfunctional RPE cells in the macula. However, the mechanisms and cellular aspects of iPSC and iPSC-RPE therapy are not well-understood, prompting an investigation into their underlying mechanisms. iPSC and iPSC-RPE cells were cultured to study their effects on ARPE19 cells (a cell model resembling dry AMD) subjected to oxidative stress damage. The study observed the mechanisms related to oxidative stress and cell apoptosis. Co-culturing with our cultured cells aimed to evaluate the therapeutic effects of stem cells on the cell model of dry AMD. A dry AMD cell model was established using sodium iodate, causing cells to lose control of apoptosis regulation, leading to cell necrosis. Apoptosis protein array analysis revealed a significant increase in gene expression of casp-3 and casp-8. However, co-culturing with stem cells showed a substantial reduction in cell necrosis, with the normalization of apoptosis pathways. This suggests that iPSC and iPSC-RPE exhibit the ability to treat cells, preventing extensive cell death in ARPE19 cells. Experimental results indicate that further modulation of cell apoptosis pathways could be a potential avenue for developing dry AMD inhibitors as a therapeutic approach.
