Retinal pigmented epitheliums (RPE) have a broad spectrum of function in vivo such as phagocytosis of POS. Therefore loss of this layer could effect on vision in disease such as age related macular degeneration. Production of cells that have function in vitro is the first step to try treatment of disease related to the sensory retina and RPE layer.

Bone marrow stromal stem cells extracted from male pigmented hooded rats and after cultivation, differentiated to neural stem cells. Then NSCs again differentiated to retinal pigmented epithelium and after 7-14 days, phagocytosis ability of them investigated with internalization of POS labeled with fluorescent dye from same retina. Immunocytochemistry (anti-RPE65, anti-CRALBP, anti-OTX2) and real time PCR performed for identification of RPE cells.

Results showed that NSCs could differentiate to retinal pigment epithelium that phagocytosis of POS and internalize it in vitro. Also, immunocytochemistry and real time PCR confirmed the RPE differentiation after 14 days.

During our investigation for the first time, differentiation of BMSCs to RPE cells well had done in vitro. Moreover, these cells could express specific markers and gene expression and also phagocyte and internalized POS in vitro that are very important for cell therapy in degenerative disease such as age related macular degeneration and retinitis pigmentosa.