Outer Retinal Barrier Resistance Assay

Creative Biolabs offers professional outer retinal barrier resistance assay service to clients, facilitating the acceleration of drug development processes in the discovery model for age-related macular degeneration (AMD) based on induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs).

Introduction of Outer Retinal Barrier Resistance Assay

The outer retinal barrier is one of the key structures in the eye, situated between the retinal pigment epithelial cells (RPE) and the photoreceptors. It plays a crucial role in maintaining retinal environmental stability, including the transportation of nutrients, waste elimination, and prevention of harmful substances from invading the retina. The outer retinal barrier resistance assay is a method for evaluating and measuring the integrity and function of the outer retinal barrier. This test, through electrophysiological techniques, measures the transepithelial resistance (TER) of the retinal cell layer, which is used to express the resistance value density of the retinal cell layer. The value reflects the sealing degree and integrity of the barrier directly.

Using the outer retinal barrier resistance Test, we can evaluate changes in the function of the outer retinal barrier under different conditions or after specific drug treatments for our clients. By accurately comparing the functional status of the outer retinal barrier, this method helps researchers understand whether drugs can protect or restore the integrity of the barrier.

Fig.1 Anatomical localization of the inner and outer blood-retina barriers.¹

Workflow

1. Obtaining and Cultivating RPE Cells (Simulating AMD State): Retrieve and cultivate retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), until these cells mature and exhibit specific morphological and functional characteristics.
2. Building the Outer Retinal Barrier Model: Seed mature RPE cells on the surface of transparent electrodes to form a cell monolayer. Continue cultivation until the cell layer reaches appropriate density and integrity, thus constructing an outer retinal barrier model.
3. Drug Treatment: Apply different drug treatments to the formed RPE cell layer, setting various treatment conditions and durations based on the experiment's objectives.
4. Resistance Measurement: Use electrophysiological techniques to measure the TER of the treated RPE cell layer to assess changes in its barrier function.
5. Data Analysis and Evaluation: Analyze potential therapeutic effects of drugs on AMD and related diseases by comparing resistance value changes before and after treatment.

Stem Cell Facilitated Drug Discovery Platform

Using iPSC-facilitated discovery model to study AMD is an innovative research method. It leverages cells sourced from AMD patients to simulate the disease process, providing a unique and powerful tool for disease research and drug development. In this context, conducting outer retinal barrier resistance assay through this innovative AMD model to screen or evaluate drugs allows clients to assess the effects of drugs within a system highly relevant to human AMD, accelerating the exploration of treatments for AMD.

Advantages

• The AMD cell model used carries the same genetic background and pathological characteristics causing the disease.
• The model directly reflects the functional state of the outer retinal barrier.
• The model is highly repeatable.
• It allows for the comparison of candidate drug effects across models with different genetic backgrounds.

How Outer Retinal Barrier Resistance Assay Service Can Assist Your Project

1. Screening Potential Candidate Drugs: In the early stages of drug discovery, high-throughput screening of compound libraries based on functional outer retinal barrier models can identify candidate drugs promising for further development. This testing service can rapidly evaluate the potential of various compounds to enhance or maintain barrier function, thereby streamlining the drug discovery process.
2. Customization and Flexibility: The testing service can often be customized to meet the specific needs of a project. Whether your interest is in comparing the effects of different drug concentrations, understanding the timeline of drug action, or comparing the efficacy of different treatment approaches, we can tailor services for you.

FAQs

Q1: In what other research areas can the outer retinal barrier resistance test be used?

A1: This service is widely applicable to multiple research fields, including but not limited to drug development and mechanism studies for diabetic retinopathy, genetic retinal diseases, and evaluating any treatment strategies that might affect retinal health.

Q2: How long does it take to get test results?

A2: The project timeline may vary depending on specific needs, including cell culture time, drug treatment, and test duration. Typically, a complete test cycle (from cell culture to final data analysis) may take 10-12 weeks.

Q3: How are test results interpreted?

A3: Test results are usually reported in resistance values (Ω/cm²), where higher resistance values indicate stronger barrier function.

Published Data

The pathogenesis of AMD includes damage to the retinal barrier. Research analyzing the effects of thrombin inhibitors has found that thrombin can reduce TER values, suggesting that thrombin participates in the pathological process of AMD by damaging the retinal barrier.

Fig.2 Thrombin-mediated effects of Transepithelial Resistance (TER).2

Creative Biolabs provides professional outer retinal barrier resistance assay services aimed at assisting clients in accurately assessing the effectiveness of candidate drugs in protecting the outer retinal barrier. If you have a need for this test, please feel free to contact us.

Reference

1. O'Leary, F.; Campbell, M. The blood-retina barrier in health and disease. The FEBS Journal. 2023, 290(4):878-891.
2. Akter, T.; et al. Dabigatran and wet AMD, results from retinal pigment epithelial cell monolayers, the mouse model of choroidal neovascularization, and patients from the medicare data base. Frontiers in Immunology. 2022, 13:896274.

For Research Use Only. Not For Clinical Use.