AIM:To observe the efficiency of cultivation of retinal stem cells (RSC)in vitro by tissue cultivation method. ·METHODS:The tissue of ciliary body of postnatal 10 days rat was isolated and divided into small bits,then cultivated with non-serum DMEM/F12 medium,20μg/L bFGF,20μg/L EGF and 1×B27 supplement at the same time,the embryonic brain derived neural stem cells (NSC) were isolated and cultivated with routine method as positive control. These two kinds of cells were identified by detection of nestin with immunofluorescence method,which was known as a marker of neural stem cells. The characteristic of differentiation of RSC was identified in the induced condition of 100mL/L FBS medium. ·RESULTS:In the primary cultivation,cell spheres with high refraction were observed 48 hours after isolation and cultivation. The cell spheres enlarged and the amount increased gradually in the fourth or fifth day of cultivation. The passage of the cells occurred in the seventh day of cultivation,and the cells of the next passage can also formed the sphere shape. The marker nestin was detected both in RSC and NSC by immunofluorescence method. The RSC became adherent with the bottom of the culture dish in the induced condition with serum,and some of the cells differentiated into cells with neural cell shapes. The characteristics of the shape,proliferation and differentiation of RSC were similar with NSC. ·CONCLUSION:Tissue cultivation has the characteristics of less damage and convenience,which can be used in the isolation and cultivation of RSC successfully.