ISOLATION AND CULTURE OF A HIGH PURITY POPULATION OF CONE PHOTORECEPTOR CELLS BY TISSUE DISSOCIATION AND PNA-PANNING, AND BIOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS THEREOF

摘要

The present invention provides a process and kit for isolating cone photoreceptor cells from retinal tissue with a purity level of at least 80%, typically of about 90%. The isolation process uses a PNA-panning procedure conducted on dissociated retinal tissue. The present invention also provides a culture medium enabling the in vitro survival and development of such isolated cone cells. The means of the invention are applicable to adult mammalian cone cells, and more particularly to adult human cone cells. They have the advantage of being applicable to pathologic or otherwise altered cone cells, and thus give access to the screening of compounds capable of showing neuroprotective activity on adult cone cells.