Review: R28 retinal precursor cells: The first 20 years

The R28 retinal precursor cell line was established 20 years ago, originating from a postnatal day 6 rat retinal culture immortalized with the 12S E1A (NP-040507) gene of the adenovirus in a replication-incompetent viral vector. Since that time, R28 cells have been characterized and used for a variety of in vitro and in vivo studies of retinal cell behavior, including differentiation, neuroprotection, cytotoxicity, and light stimulation, as well as retinal gene expression and neuronal function. While no cell culture is equivalent to the intact eye, R28 cells continue to provide an important experimental system for the study of many retinal processes.