RF/6A Cells

RF/6A is a rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta) retinal choroidal endothelial cell line established from fetal choroid and retina tissue. The line is grows as an adherent monolayer with epithelial-like morphology. RF/6A cells retain key endothelial characteristics including expression of Factor VIII (von Willebrand factor), fibronectin, and Weibel-Palade granules detectable by electron microscopy — the latter confirming their endothelial identity. The line was originally established for studies of retinal and choroidal vascularization and has been widely adopted as a primate endothelial model for ocular angiogenesis research.
RF/6A is applicable in ocular angiogenesis research, studies of retinal and choroidal vascularization, evaluation of anti-angiogenic agents (VEGF inhibitors, bevacizumab, ranibizumab), age-related macular degeneration (AMD) modeling, diabetic retinopathy biology, and assessment of vascular permeability in the ocular microenvironment. The non-human primate (NHP) origin makes RF/6A closer to human retinal vascular biology than rodent endothelial models, particularly for studies involving primate-specific VEGF isoform responses and ocular pharmacology. The line is commonly used in tube formation assays, migration assays, and VEGF-stimulation experiments.