The iris is a pigmented disk with a variable aperture which controls the size of the pupil and the amount of light reaching the retina. It consists of the anterior limiting layer, the stroma, the dilator muscle layer, and the posterior pigmented epithelium. Iris fibroblasts (IrF), which are located in the iris, are mesenchymal cells derived from the embryonic mesoderm. The main functions of IrF are to maintain the structural integrity of the connective tissue and to aid in tissue repair and remodeling. Under disease conditions, such as with rubeosis iridis, neovascularization can occur on the anterior surface of the iris and result in fibrosis. If the rubeosis iridis condition is left untreated, a neovascular glaucoma can develop. Patients with diabetes and diabetic retinopathy are at a higher risk of developing rubeosis iridis. Human IrF (HIrF) cultures can be used as an in vitro model for studying fibrosis and associated disorders.

HIrF from ScienCell Research Laboratories are isolated from human iris. HIrF are cryopreserved at passage one and delivered frozen. Each vial contains >5 x 10⁵ cells in 1 ml volume. HIrF are characterized by their spindle morphology and immunofluorescence with antibody specific to fibronectin. HIrF are negative for HIV-1, HBV, HCV, mycoplasma, bacteria, yeast, and fungi. HIrF are guaranteed to further expand for 15 population doublings under the conditions provided by ScienCell Research Laboratories.

Recommended Medium

It is recommended to use Fibroblast Medium (FM, Cat. #2301) for culturing HIrF in vitro.