The iris is a pigmented disk with a variable aperture which controls the size of the pupil and the amount of light reaching the retina. It consists of the anterior limiting layer, the stroma, the dilator muscle layer, and the posterior pigmented epithelium. Iris pigment epithelial cells (IPEpiC) share the same embryonic origin as retinal pigment epithelial cells (RPE) and thus exhibit similar functional properties as RPE, including turnover of photoreceptors and synthesis of trophic factors. Studies show that IPEpiC transplanted into the subretinal space inhibited abnormal neovascularization and photoreceptor degeneration, which suggests that IPEpiC transplantation may be used in the future to treat retinal disorders. IPEpiC may also have potential to be used as a cell source for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.   

 RabIPEpiC from ScienCell Research Laboratories are isolated from Dutch rabbit iris. RabIPEpiC are cryopreserved at passage one and delivered frozen. Each vial contains >5 x 105 cells in 1 ml volume. RabIPEpiC are characterized by immunofluorescence with antibodies specific to cytokeratin-18. RabIPEpiC are negative for mycoplasma, bacteria, yeast, and fungi. RabIPEpiC are guaranteed to further culture under the conditions provided by ScienCell Research Laboratories; however, RabIPEpiC are not recommended for subculturing due to limited expansion capacity.