Accelerated Development of Rod Photoreceptors in Retinal Organoids Derived from Human Pluripotent Stem Cells by Supplementation with 9-cis Retinal

Abstract

Human pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) can be differentiated into retinal organoids with proper neural layer organization, yet the protocols are technically challenging and time consuming. We have modified a widely used differentiation protocol by switching all-<i>trans</i> retinoic acid with 9-<i>cis</i> retinal to accelerate photoreceptor differentiation and improve morphogenesis. In this report, we provide a detailed and improved protocol to generate retinal organoids from human pluripotent stem cells. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Kaya et al. (2019).