Establishment of a primary porcine retinal pigment epithelium monolayer to complement retinal ex vivo cultures

Abstract

Summary: Impaired function of the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) resembles a hallmark in many retinal diseases; thus, co-cultivation models with RPE and retinal explants are useful to investigate these. Here, we present an easy-to-handle direct co-cultivation protocol, containing a functional, primary RPE monolayer and retinal explants. We describe in detail steps for establishing the monolayer and the direct co-cultivation. Techniques, which allow users to investigate the integrity and functionality of the RPE monolayer, are presented and the co-cultivation was tested under stress conditions. : Publisher’s note: Undertaking any experimental protocol requires adherence to local institutional guidelines for laboratory safety and ethics.

Keywords

• Cell Biology
• Molecular Biology