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

Figure 6

Survival and differentiation of retinal organoid cells as analyzed by immunofluorescence microscopy after transplantation. (a, b) The SC121-positive cells expressing green fluorescent protein (GFP), which were used for construction of the retinal organoids, were clearly visible in the healthy eye (transplanted with a retinal organoid, but receiving no immunosuppressive treatment) and the Oz-eye (eye with ocular hypertension (OHT) transplanted with a retinal organoid and treated with dexamethasone), indicating that cells from the transplanted organoids were alive in the host retina. However, in (c) the RAP-eye (OHT eye transplanted with a retinal organoid and treated with rapamycin) and (d) the OHT-eye (OHT eye transplanted with a retinal organoid, but receiving no immunosuppressive treatment), no SC121-positive or GFP-positive cells were detected. HuD- and RBPMS-positive retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) were also observed in (e, i) the healthy eye and (f, j) the Oz-eye. (m) Tubulin- and (q) NEFL-positive axons were observed within and near the transplants in the healthy eye. (n) Tubulin- and (r) NEFL-positive axons were observed within and near the transplants in the Oz-eye. In (c, g, k, o, s) the RAP-eye and (d, h, l, p, t) the OHT-eye, no cells or axons expressing these markers were detected. GCL: ganglion cell layer; INL: inner nuclear layer; ONL: outer nuclear layer.