P3HT:Bebq2-based photovoltaic device enhances differentiation of hiPSC-derived retinal ganglion cells

Chih Chen Hsu, Yi Ying Lin, Tien Chun Yang, Aliaksandr A. Yarmishyn, Tzu Wei Lin, Yuh Lih Chang, De Kuang Hwang, Chien Ying Wang, Yung Yang Liu, Wen Liang Lo, Chi Hsien Peng, Shih Jen Chen, Yi Ping Yang

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

4 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Electric field stimulation is known to affect various cellular processes, including cell fate specification and differentiation, particularly towards neuronal lineages. This makes it a promising therapeutic strategy to stimulate regeneration of neuronal tissues. Retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) is a type of neural cells of the retina responsible for transduction of visual signals fromthe retina to the brain cortex, and is often degenerated in various blindness-causing retinal diseases. The organic photovoltaic materials such as poly-3-hexylthiophene (P3HT) can generate electric current upon illumination with light of the visible spectrum, and possesses several advantageous properties, including light weight, flexibility and high biocompatibility, which makes them a highly promising tool for electric stimulation of cells in vitro and in vivo. In this study, we tested the ability to generate photocurrent by several formulations of blend (bulk heterojunction) of P3HT (which is electron donor material) with several electron acceptor materials, including Alq3 and bis(10-hydroxybenzo[h]quinolinato)beryllium (Bebq2). We found that the photovoltaic device based on bulk heterojunction of P3HT with Bebq2 could generate photocurrent when illuminated by both green laser and visible spectrum light. We tested the growth and differentiation capacity of human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSC)-derived RGCs when grown in interface with such photostimulated device, and found that they were significantly increased. The application of P3HT:Bebq2-formulation of photovoltaic device has a great potential for developments in retinal transplantation, nerve repair and tissue engineering approaches of treatment of retinal degeneration.

Original languageEnglish
Article number2661
JournalInternational journal of molecular sciences
Volume20
Issue number11
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Jun 1 2019
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC)
  • Photovoltaic
  • Poly-3-hexylthiophene (P3HT)
  • Retinal ganglia cells (RGC)

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Catalysis
  • Molecular Biology
  • Spectroscopy
  • Computer Science Applications
  • Physical and Theoretical Chemistry
  • Organic Chemistry
  • Inorganic Chemistry

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