Cerium oxide nanoparticles mitigate retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) death using APRE19 cell model

In this study, we present the potential of cerium oxide nanoparticle pretreatment on ARPE-19 cells, a cell line of the Retinal Pigment Epithelium (RPE), as a therapeutic modality to cellular stresses such as low serum starvation. ARPE-19 cells were pretreated with nano-cerium oxide at a concentration of 500 µg/mL before low serum stress was induced for 24, 48, 72, and 96 hours. Starvation stress was induced by using low concentrations of Fetal Bovine Serum (FBS) media at three increments: 10%, 1%, 0.1%. Contrast images demonstrated higher cell confluence and cell integrity in cells pretreated with cerium oxide nanoparticles compared to untreated cells. Increased cell viability for cerium oxide pretreated cells was confirmed by MTS assay after 96 hours of serum starvation. By using nanoparticles to influence pathways of apoptosis, we hope to rescue ARPE-19 cells from a range of stressors, including oxidative stress, and re-establish homeostasis for the cell. Nanoparticles may represent a novel class of therapeutics for diseases of the eye, like AMD and blue-light induced oxidative stress.