Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 23, 2026
Isolation, Culture, and Genetic Engineering of Mammalian Primary Pigment Epithelial Cells for Non-Viral Gene Therapy
Published on: February 26, 2021
Reprogramming of Human Retinal Pigment Epithelial Cells under the Effect of bFGF In Vitro
E V Shafei1, A M Kurinov1, A V Kuznetsova1
1N. K. Koltsov Institute of Developmental Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia.
Abstract:
We studied the effect of bFGF on human retinal pigment epithelial cells in vitro In ARPE-19 cells, enhanced expression of KLF4 mRNA and reduced expression of PAX6, MITF, and OTX2 mRNA specific for retinal pigment epithelium were observed after bFGF application. The expression of KLF4 mRNA peaked in 72 h after bFGF application and then sharply decreased, which was accompanied by a 3-fold increase in TUBB3 mRNA expression (neuronal marker). Immunocytochemical analysis showed that in the presence of bFGF, some cells retained epithelial properties and showed positive staining for connexin-43, while others had long axon-like processes and demonstrated positive staining for βIII-tubulin, which attests to their neuronal transdifferentiation. Despite the prevalence of the epithelial properties, ARPE-19 cells under the influence of bFGF can show proneuronal properties.
