Technology ID
TAB-2471

Plasmid Useful in Transplantation Therapy for Age-Related Eye Disease

E-Numbers
E-054-2012-0
Lead Inventor
Bharti, Kapil (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)
Applications
Therapeutics
Research Materials
Diagnostics
Development Status
  • Prototype
  • In vitro data available
Lead IC
NINDS
Researchers have developed a green fluorescent protein (GFP) based plasmid that can be used to detect differentiated retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells. RPE is a layer of cells located behind the eye that becomes damaged in age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Current cell based therapies for treating AMD focus on generating RPE cells from stem cells. This GPF-based plasmid can be inserted into growing stem cells, and the fluorescence marker can be used to detect and purify stem cells differentiating into RPE cells. This advancement allows generation of a purified population of RPE cells for in vitro and transplantation purposes.

Additionally, cells comprising the GFP-based construct may be useful in high-throughput drug screening as a means to: (1) identify potential therapeutic targets of RPE degenerative diseases such as AMD, and (2) evaluate initial toxicity of candidate drugs in RPE cells.
Commercial Applications
  • Fluorescence based marker for detecting and purifying differentiated RPE cells
  • Potential use in high throughput drug screening
Competitive Advantages
GFP based marker allows for fast and simple detection of differentiated RPE cells from stem cells.
Licensing Contact:
Specialist (ALS), Admin. Licensing
nihott@nih.gov