Abstract
Presentation Description
Retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), a highly metabolically active monolayer of cells performing critical functions in the outer retina, is lost in several retinal degenerative disorders including age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Efforts are underway to develop transplantation strategies utilizing human pluripotent stem cell-derived RPE (hPSC-RPE) to replace these cells. RPE cells are known to be rich in mitochondria, however, the metabolic state of in vitro differentiated hPSC-RPE cells and their response to patient-specific in vivo stressors is not known. We investigated the mitochondrial integrity and function of these cells under baseline condition and conditions targeting mitochondrial respiration. Our results show that hPSC-RPE cells have healthy mitochondrial function, which can be affected by exposure to certain treatments. More specifically, the spare respiratory capacity (SRC), which is an indicator of a cell’s ability to manage cellular stress, can be modulated. This information has implications not only for cell survival and function post-transplantation but also in understanding and targeting mitochondrial function in early stages of disease.