Journal article
Identification of retinal ganglion cell neuroprotection conferred by platelet-derived growth factor through analysis of the mesenchymal stem cell secretome
TV Johnson, NW Dekorver, VA Levasseur, A Osborne, A Tassoni, B Lorber, JP Heller, R Villasmil, ND Bull, KR Martin, SI Tomarev
Brain | OXFORD UNIV PRESS | Published : 2014
DOI: 10.1093/brain/awt292
Abstract
The development of neuroprotective strategies to attenuate retinal ganglion cell death could lead to novel therapies for chronic optic neuropathies such as glaucoma. Intravitreal transplantation of mesenchymal stem cells slows retinal ganglion cell death in models of optic nerve injury, but the mechanism of action remains unclear. Here we characterized the neuroprotective effects of mesenchymal stem cells and mesenchymal stem cell-derived factors in organotypic retinal explant culture and an in vivo model of ocular hypertensive glaucoma. Co-culture of rat and human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells with retinal explants increased retinal ganglion cell survival, after 7 days ex vivo,..
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Awarded by National Institutes of Health
Funding Acknowledgements
T.V.J. was supported by a National Institutes of Health OxCam Scholarship and the Johns Hopkins Medical Scientist Training Program. N.D.B. and K.R.M. were supported by a grant from Fight for Sight (UK). This work was also funded by a grant from the Prevention of Blindness Society of Metropolitan Washington, the Cambridge Eye Trust, The Jukes Glaucoma Research Fund, and the National Eye Institute Intramural Research Program.