RNA-sequencing uncovers transcriptomic changes induced by a multiblock thermogelling polymer on healthy and disease-modeled retinal pigment epithelial cells

Human embryonic stem-cell derived retinal pigment epithelial cells were co-stimulated with TNF-a and TGF-ß1 to model a retinal scarring complication, proliferative vitreoretinopathy. Thermogelling polymer prevented this scarring complication. To understand the polymer-cell interaction and ultimately the mechanism underlying it's anti-scarring activity, RNA-Seq was performed. Overall design: Triplicates of four different conditions at two time points (8 and 24 hours) were sequenced. Four conditions include, Media only control, Polymer alone, TNF-a and TGF-ß1 (TNT) alone, TNT + Polymer.