Transplantation of Retinal Progenitor Cells in a NanoFe2O3 Delivery System to Alleviate Retinitis Pigmentosa

Abstract

Retinal precursor cells (RPCs) have weak migration and infiltration abilities and are susceptible to host immune rejection. An effective delivery system for the transplantation of RPCs to the target needs to be further studied to improve their efficacy in treating retinitis pigmentosa (RP). Thus, we constructed a nanoFe2O3–RPC nano-delivery system to transplant RPCs into the host retina. First, we successfully isolated RPCs from surgical samples and established the stability of the nanoFe2O3 carrier. We demonstrated that nanoFe2O3 enhances the transplantation efficiency of RPCs to target retina tissue and facilitates the replacement by these stem cells of dysfunctional photoreceptor cells while simultaneously retaining the viability and differentiation ability of the RPCs. This delivery system successfully restored ailing pigment epithelial cells to a healthier status and improved the thickness of the pigment epithelial layer in an RP rat model. Thus, the nanoFe2O3–RPC system offers therapeutic benefits to patients with RP and presents a potential option for stem cell replacement therapy in RP.