Dexamethasone Provides Effective Immunosuppression for Improved Survival of Retinal Organoids after Epiretinal Transplantation

Figure 3

Immunofluorescence microscopy to examine the morphologies of cells from retinal organoids after exposure to immunosuppressants (a) Axons in the control group were long and strong and most expressed tubulin and NEFL (detected via immunofluorescence staining) indicating that the cells in this group could develop mature axons. (b) In the presence of rapamycin (RAP), the axons surrounding the organoid were observed to be tangled. Thicker axons stained positive for both tubulin and NEFL, whereas thinner axons within the organoid stained positive for only tubulin, suggesting that many axons in this group were still immature. (c) In the presence of dexamethasone (DEX), axons were short and thin and most stained only for tubulin, indicating that most axons in this group were immature. (d) Cells stained positive for HuD in the control group also exhibited long and dense dendrites that (g) stained positive for MAP2. (e, f) RAP-treated and DEX-treated organoids showing cells staining positive for HuD. (h, i) RAP- and DEX-treated organoids showing cells staining positive for MAP2. Proliferative cells in (j) control, (k) RAP, and (l) DEX groups stained positive for Ki67. CTRL: control group; RAP: rapamycin-treatment group; DEX: dexamethasone-treatment group.