hRPE cells derived from induced pluripotent stem cells are more sensitive to oxidative stress than ARPE-19 cells

The ARPE-19 cell line is currently used as an in vitro model for retinal diseases such as age-related degeneration (AMD). However, several studies have pointed out morphological and genetic differences between ARPE-19 cells and human fetal or adult retinal pigment epithelial (hRPE) cells. This study aims to compare ARPE-19 cells to hRPE cells derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) in both normal and oxidative stress conditions induced by Fe-NTA treatment. Indeed, oxidative stress is an essential contributing factor in AMD. hiPSC obtained from peripheral venous blood samples or fibroblasts of individuals aged over 60 years were first reprogrammed to hiPSC and then differentiated into RPE cells. In contrast to ARPE-19 cells, hiPSC-RPE cells expressed β-galactosidase activity, suggesting that only the latter display signs of senescence. Treatment with 10 mM of FeNTA induced a higher reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and increased cell death in hiPSC-RPE cells compared to ARPE-19 cells. Moreover, morphological analysis and Annexin V and Propidium iodide (PI) test suggested a necrotic cell death pattern induced by treatment in hiPSC-RPE cells that is not observed in ARPE-19 cells. Taken as a whole, our findings suggest that hiPSC-RPE cells are more sensitive to oxidative stress than ARPE-19 cells.