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Updated: Mar 9, 2026
Reconstruct Human Retinoblastoma In Vitro
Published on: October 11, 2022
Cultivation of Retinoblastoma Cells: Correlation Between In Vitro Growth Pattern and Histopathology
Narges Fazili1, Sahar Balagholi1, Yashar Amizadeh1
1Ocular Tissue Engineering Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Purpose:
To investigate the correlation between floating versus adherent growth pattern of cultivated retinoblastoma (RB) cells from three patients with RB and their histopathologic features.
Methods:
RB cells from three Iranian patients (MM, NR, and MS) were cultivated in Dulbecco's modified eagle medium (DMEM) supplemented with 15% fetal bovine serum (FBS) for four weeks in each passage. Fresh medium was added on a weekly basis and immunocytochemistry for Synaptophysin was performed. All experiments were performed in duplicate. Growth pattern of the cultivated RB cells was studied during the three consecutive passages and compared among three cases in the light of histopathologic data.
Results:
Cultivated RB cells from MM and NR demonstrated an adherent growth pattern in the 2nd week and the pattern was enhanced by the 4th week. The RB tumorspheres adhered to the bottom of the flask while surrounded by fibroblasts. Histopathologic diagnosis in MM and NR was a well-differentiated RB without optic nerve involvement. Such an adherent growth was not observed in cultivated RB cells from MS, in which the histopathologic analysis revealed a poorly-differentiated RB with optic nerve intrusion and prominent choroidal invasion.
Conclusion:
The adherent growth pattern of cultivated RB cells might be associated with tumor differentiation and the lack of optic nerve involvement in histopathology.
Insights
Cultivated retinoblastoma (RB) cells exhibiting adherent growth were associated with well-differentiated tumors lacking optic nerve involvement. Floating RB cells correlated with poorly-differentiated tumors and optic nerve invasion.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Cell Biology
- Oncology
Background:
- Retinoblastoma (RB) is the most common primary intraocular malignancy in children.
- Understanding RB cell behavior in vitro can provide insights into tumor characteristics.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the relationship between the in vitro growth patterns (adherent vs. floating) of cultivated retinoblastoma cells and their corresponding histopathologic features.
- To determine if specific growth patterns correlate with tumor differentiation and invasion.
Main Methods:
- Retinoblastoma cells from three patients were cultured for four weeks in supplemented DMEM.
- Immunocytochemistry for Synaptophysin was performed.
- Cellular growth patterns were observed over three passages and compared with histopathologic data.
Main Results:
- Cells from patients with well-differentiated RB and no optic nerve involvement showed an adherent growth pattern.
- Cells from a patient with poorly-differentiated RB, optic nerve, and choroidal invasion exhibited a non-adherent (floating) growth pattern.
- Adherent RB cells formed tumorspheres that attached to the flask, often alongside fibroblasts.
Conclusions:
- An adherent growth pattern in cultivated retinoblastoma cells may indicate better tumor differentiation.
- The absence of optic nerve involvement in histopathology appears linked to the adherent growth characteristic.
- Floating growth patterns might suggest more aggressive tumor characteristics.
