Inhibition of retinal pigment epithelial cell attachment by a synthetic peptide derived from the cell-binding domain of fibronectin

R. L. Avery and B. M. Glaser

Retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells are dispersed into the vitreous cavity during retinal reattachment surgery and attach to the vitreous gel and internal limiting membrane. Subsequent migration and cell-mediated contraction can result in traction retinal detachment. Fibronectin (FN) can enhance the attachment of various cell types. We now report that FN enhances the attachment of human and porcine RPE cells. A synthetic tetrapeptide, arg-gly-asp-ser (RGDS), derived from the FN cell-binding domain, has been shown to interfere with attachment of some cell types. We now report that RGDS inhibits RPE cell attachment to FN in a dose-dependent manner with 70% inhibition at 1 mg/mL. Also, RGDS inhibits attachment to types I and II collagen, as well as to lens capsule basement membrane by 40%, 50%, and 25%, respectively. Therefore, RGDS or its derivatives may have some eventual role in the management of proliferative vitreoretinopathy.