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Editors Selection IGR 13-2

Basic research: Fetal trabecular meshwork cells

Comment by Daniel Stamer on:

16824 Isolation, culture, and characterization of human fetal trabecular meshwork cells, Lin S; Lee OT; Minasi P et al., Current Eye Research, 2007; 32: 43-50

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Pathology of resident trabecular meshwork cells in the conventional drainage tract results in ocular hypertension. The role of meshwork cells in maintaining homeostasis of conventional drainage is complicated, and likely accomplished by a unique combination of functional characteristics including phagocytosis, heterotypic intercellular adhesion, paracrine signaling, contractility and extracellular matrix turnover (to name a few). Thus, when isolated from human donor eyes and differentiated in culture, trabecular meshwork cells provide a useful model to study ocular hypertension and glaucoma in vitro. Unfortunately, the recent decline in quantity and quality of human donor eyes available for research makes the isolation of trabecular meshwork cells more difficult. The recent report by Lin et al. (35) demonstrates a valuable alternative. Using eye tissue from 24 week old aborted human fetuses, cells from the developing conventional tract were isolated (sharp dissection/explant outgrowth method), cultured and compared to cells isolated from adult donor eyes. Results show that cells isolated from fetal eyes were similar to adult trabecular meshwork isolates in terms of morphology and protein expression/regulation. For example, the authors demonstrate that fetal cells express aquaporin-1 and were responsive to dexamethasone in terms of induction of myocilin protein (myocilin induction is unique to trabecular meshwork cells, and differentiates them from potential cell contaminants). The amount of tissue obtained from fetal eyes was apparently not an issue because the authors demonstrated that rates of population doublings were significantly less than adult cells; enabling cultures to maintained in good condition for longer. Taken together, Lin and colleagues provide a valuable option for those of us who rely on cultured trabecular meshwork cells as a model for glaucoma.

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