Effects of small intestinal submucosa content on the adhesion and proliferation of retinal pigment epithelial cells on SIS–PLGA films

The retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) plays a critical role in the maintenance of the normal functions of the retina, particularly the photoreceptors. RPE dysfunction, vision loss and degeneration have been implicated as the cause of many retinal diseases, including retinitis pigmentosa and age-related macular degeneration (AMD). To overcome such disorders, tissue engineering could offer useful strategies, using biodegradable polymeric films to replace diseased or lost RPE. Synthetic/natural hybrid films have been studied as a temporary substrate for growing RPEs in biological implantations. In this study, we prepared small intestinal submucosa (SIS)–poly(lactic-co-glycolic) (PLGA) hybrid films and seeded human RPE cells (ARPE-19 cells) onto the film surface. We investigated the film suitability for RPE cell proliferation by MTT assay. The morphology of cellular adhesion on the film was confirmed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction (RT–PCR) and 3-amino-9-ethylcarbazole (AEC) staining were performed to examine mRNA expression and to compare cell proliferation on the films, using cytokeratin as a marker of RPE. Conclusively, we confirmed the higher cell survival rate and much stronger phenotype expression of RPEs on SIS–PLGA films compared to pure PLGA films. These results demonstrated the potential application of SIS–PLGA films in tissue-engineering strategies.