METHOD FOR PRODUCING RETINAL GANGLION CELLS FROM PLURIPOTENT CELLS

A method of making retinal ganglion cells, comprises the steps of: (a) differentiating pluripotent stem cells into retinal progenitor cells; and, (b) differentiating retinal progenitor cells into retinal ganglion cells. In another aspect, the present description provides a method of making retinal ganglion cells, comprising the steps of: (a) differentiating human pluripotent stem cells into retinal progenitor cells, the retinal progenitor cells expressing one or more of Chx10 and Pax6 and lacking Sox1 expression; and (b) differentiating retinal progenitor cells into retinal ganglion cells, the retinal ganglion cells having one or more of: retinal ganglion cell morphology; ability to fire action potentials; ability to exhibit inward sodium currents that are sensitive to a voltage-gated sodium channel blocker; ability to conduct potassium through voltage-gated channels; and Bm3 expression. Un procédé de fabrication de cellules ganglionnaires de la rétine, comprend les étapes consistant à : (a) différencier les cellules souches pluripotentes en cellules progénitrices rétiniennes ; et, (b) différencier les cellules progénitrices rétiniennes en cellules ganglionnaires de la rétine.