Photoreceptors and photoreceptor progenitors produced from pluripotent stem cells

Abstract

Methods are provided for the production of photoreceptor cells and photoreceptor progenitor cells from pluripotent stem cells. Additionally provided are compositions of photoreceptor cells and photoreceptor cells, as well as methods for the therapeutic use thereof. Exemplary methods may produce substantially pure cultures of photoreceptor cells and/or photoreceptor cells.

1 . A preparation of photoreceptor progenitor cells, comprising:
 a plurality of photoreceptor progenitor cells, and   a medium suitable for maintaining the viability of the photoreceptor progenitor cells,   wherein greater than 90% of the cells in the preparation are immunocytochemically PAX6+ and CHX10−, and mRNA transcript positive for MASH1 as detected by qPCR.   
     
     
         2 . (canceled) 
     
     
         3 . The preparation of photoreceptor progenitor cells of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the plurality of photoreceptor progenitor cells is substantially free of pluripotent stem cells, retinal ganglion cells, mature photoreceptors, and/or amacrine cells.   
     
     
         4 . (canceled) 
     
     
         5 . The preparation of photoreceptor progenitor cells of  claim 1 , wherein the preparation is a cryogenic cell preparation comprising at least 10 9  photoreceptor progenitor cells 
     
     
         6 .- 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . The preparation of  claim 1 , wherein the medium suitable for maintaining the viability of the photoreceptor progenitor cells is selected from the group consisting of a culture medium, a cryopreservative, and a biocompatible injection medium suitable for injection in a human patient. 
     
     
         22 .- 26 . (canceled) 
     
     
         27 . The preparation of photoreceptor progenitor cells of  claim 1 ,
 wherein greater than 90% of the cells are immunocytochemically PAX6+, CHX10−, rhodopsin+, and opsin.   
     
     
         28 . (canceled) 
     
     
         29 . A method of treating a disease or disorder caused by loss of photoreceptors in a patient, comprising administering the pharmaceutical preparation of photoreceptor progenitor cells of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         30 . (canceled) 
     
     
         31 . A method of producing photoreceptor progenitor cells, comprising the steps of
 culturing eye field progenitor cells under culture conditions alternating between low adherence or non-adherent conditions for a period of time sufficient to form individual cell spheres, and then adherent conditions,   which alternating culture conditions are continued until a majority of the cells are photoreceptor progenitor cells, wherein the photoreceptor progenitor cells are characterized as PAX6(+) and CHX10(−), and wherein the photoreceptor progenitor cells differentiate into photoreceptor cells upon treatment with retinoic acid.   
     
     
         32 . A method of producing photoreceptor progenitor cells, comprising the steps of
 (a) culturing eye field progenitor cells, preferably as cells clusters and preferably under low adherence or non-adherent conditions, in a neural differentiation media for a period of time sufficient for the cell clusters to form individual cell spheres, wherein the eye field progenitor cells are characterized as PAX6(+) and RX1(+) and OCT4(−) and NANOG(−), and preferably are also characterized as SIX3(+), SIX6(+), LHX2(+), TBX3(+), SOX2(+) and Nestin+, as determined by immunostaining and/or flow cytometry;   (b) culturing the cell spheres in a neural differentiation media under adherent conditions, preferably on a biomaterial scaffold such as gelatin, alginate, collagen type 1, Matrigel™, polyglycolide, collagen, fibrin, or self-assembling peptides, until a majority of cells in the culture are retinal neural progenitor cells characterized as PAX6(+), CHX10(+) and SOX2(−);   (c) thereafter, alternating culture conditions one or more times between low adherence or non-adherent conditions for a period of time sufficient for the retinal neural progenitor cells to form individual cell spheres, and then culturing the retinal neural progenitor cell containing cell spheres under adherent conditions, which alternating culture conditions are continued until a majority of the cells are photoreceptor progenitor cells, wherein the photoreceptor progenitor cells are characterized as PAX6(+) and CHX10(−), and preferably are also characterized as mRNA transcript positive for Mash1, Nr2e3, Trβ2, RORβ and NRO as detected by qPCR, and wherein the photoreceptor progenitor cells differentiate into photoreceptor cells upon treatment with retinoic acid.   
     
     
         33 .- 37 . (canceled) 
     
     
         38 . A method for preparing a substantially pure culture of pluripotent stem cell-derived photoreceptor progenitor cells comprising:
 (a) culturing pluripotent stem cells in a feeder-free system to produce one or more eye field progenitor cells;   (b) culturing said one or more eye field progenitor cells to produce retinal neural progenitor cells that are PAX6+ and CHX10+;   (c) culturing said retinal neural progenitor cells to produce photoreceptor progenitor cells (PRPCs) that are PAX6+ and CHX10−.