Monoclonal antibody substrates facilitate long-term regenerative growth of adult primate retinal neurons.

A culture system for adult monkey and human retinal cells was developed utilizing monoclonal antibodies as substrates. Monoclonal antibodies were made using monkey retinal membranes as immunogen, and screening for the ability to bind and facilitate growth of dissociated retinal neurons when used as a culture substrate. Two antibodies, MR1 and 9B5, which recognize immunohistochemically distinct cell surface antigens, were found to work effectively as a culture substrate for dissociated monkey retinal cells. A variety of dissociated monkey retinal neurons and glial cells grew extensive processes on MR1 and 9B5, and continued to express cell-specific antigens. In addition, many multipolar neurons remained electrically excitable after several days in culture. Dissociated human retinal cells did not cross-react with MR1 but grew well on 9B5. These results extend previous work showing that antibody substrates can support the growth of neurons derived from other vertebrate species (e.g., neonatal rat, adult salamander). The long-term survival and growth of primate cells in culture supports the current view that neurons in the adult mammalian central nervous system (CNS) may regenerate under permissive circumstances. Further, these data provide evidence that direct support by non-neuronal cells is not required and that regeneration in vitro may be mediated by suitably adhesive non-cellular substrates.