Axol Bioscience Expands iPSC Library to Accelerate Ophthalmology Research
Axol Bioscience’s updated iPSC library will hopefully provide researchers with diverse patient-derived cell lines and tools for advanced ophthalmology studies.
Axol Bioscience has expanded its induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) line library with a broader range of patient-derived lines for ophthalmology research. The updated collection now includes iPSC lines from individuals with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and several forms of retinopathy, providing researchers with access to a variety of disease-relevant genetic backgrounds. These iPSC lines are suitable for generating retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells, which are essential for modeling dry AMD and supporting gene therapy development.
Researchers can manufacture cells using Axol’s proprietary lines, their own iPSC lines, or third-party sources. The company provides onboarding support and quality control to help ensure reproducibility and consistent performance. According to Axol, its RPE cells exhibit a typical pigmented, cobblestone morphology and high expression of markers such as MITF, ZO-1, and PMEL17, with a purity exceeding 95%, as measured by flow cytometry.
In addition to RPE cells, Axol offers iPSC-derived microglia for studying neuroinflammatory mechanisms within ophthalmology. These microglia are ready for assay within seven days and express markers including IBA-1, TMEM119, and P2RY12. Axol reports that these cells display robust functional activity in cytokine release, phagocytosis, and chemotaxis, making them suitable for co-culture systems and compound screening.
Axol also says it provides high-content and high-throughput compound testing platforms. Its dry AMD model replicates central disease mechanisms using chronic A2E treatment and blue light exposure, which induce oxidative stress, inflammation, and RPE cell death. The model is available in both standard and miniaturized formats, enabling scalable drug screening with multiple endpoints through automated liquid handling systems.
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