Retinoblastoma: a primitive tumor with multipotential characteristics.

The histogenesis of retinoblastoma, the most common intraocular tumor of childhood, has been recently attributed to a primitive retinal cell which is capable of differentiation into both neuronal and glial elements. By manipulating the culture medium constituents and using differentiating agents, such as dibutyryl-cyclic AMP and butyrate, we have now been able to differentiate a population of Y-79 human retinoblastoma cells into cells of pigment epithelial character, as well as into cells of neuronal or glial nature. These studies additionally implicate the outer layer of the optic vesicle in retinoblastoma etiology, and introduce a new system for studying the biologic properties of primitive neural tumors as well as the embryonic development of the retina and central nervous system.