1
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Eintracht J, Owen N, Harding P, Moosajee M. Disruption of common ocular developmental pathways in patient-derived optic vesicle models of microphthalmia. Stem Cell Reports 2024; 19:839-858. [PMID: 38821055 DOI: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2024.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2023] [Revised: 04/30/2024] [Accepted: 05/02/2024] [Indexed: 06/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Genetic perturbations influencing early eye development can result in microphthalmia, anophthalmia, and coloboma (MAC). Over 100 genes are associated with MAC, but little is known about common disease mechanisms. In this study, we generated induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived optic vesicles (OVs) from two unrelated microphthalmia patients and healthy controls. At day 20, 35, and 50, microphthalmia patient OV diameters were significantly smaller, recapitulating the "small eye" phenotype. RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) analysis revealed upregulation of apoptosis-initiating and extracellular matrix (ECM) genes at day 20 and 35. Western blot and immunohistochemistry revealed increased expression of lumican, nidogen, and collagen type IV, suggesting ECM overproduction. Increased apoptosis was observed in microphthalmia OVs with reduced phospho-histone 3 (pH3+) cells confirming decreased cell proliferation at day 35. Pharmacological inhibition of caspase-8 activity with Z-IETD-FMK decreased apoptosis in one patient model, highlighting a potential therapeutic approach. These data reveal shared pathophysiological mechanisms contributing to a microphthalmia phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Mariya Moosajee
- UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, London EC1V 9EL, UK; Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London EC1V 9EL, UK; Francis Crick Institute, London NW1 1AT, UK.
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2
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Mondal AK, Gaur M, Advani J, Swaroop A. Epigenome-metabolism nexus in the retina: implications for aging and disease. Trends Genet 2024:S0168-9525(24)00099-4. [PMID: 38782642 DOI: 10.1016/j.tig.2024.04.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2024] [Revised: 04/22/2024] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
Intimate links between epigenome modifications and metabolites allude to a crucial role of cellular metabolism in transcriptional regulation. Retina, being a highly metabolic tissue, adapts by integrating inputs from genetic, epigenetic, and extracellular signals. Precise global epigenomic signatures guide development and homeostasis of the intricate retinal structure and function. Epigenomic and metabolic realignment are hallmarks of aging and highlight a link of the epigenome-metabolism nexus with aging-associated multifactorial traits affecting the retina, including age-related macular degeneration and glaucoma. Here, we focus on emerging principles of epigenomic and metabolic control of retinal gene regulation, with emphasis on their contribution to human disease. In addition, we discuss potential mitigation strategies involving lifestyle changes that target the epigenome-metabolome relationship for maintaining retinal function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anupam K Mondal
- Neurobiology, Neurodegeneration, and Repair Laboratory, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Mohita Gaur
- Neurobiology, Neurodegeneration, and Repair Laboratory, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Jayshree Advani
- Neurobiology, Neurodegeneration, and Repair Laboratory, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Anand Swaroop
- Neurobiology, Neurodegeneration, and Repair Laboratory, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
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3
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Kurzawa-Akanbi M, Tzoumas N, Corral-Serrano JC, Guarascio R, Steel DH, Cheetham ME, Armstrong L, Lako M. Pluripotent stem cell-derived models of retinal disease: Elucidating pathogenesis, evaluating novel treatments, and estimating toxicity. Prog Retin Eye Res 2024; 100:101248. [PMID: 38369182 DOI: 10.1016/j.preteyeres.2024.101248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2023] [Revised: 02/13/2024] [Accepted: 02/14/2024] [Indexed: 02/20/2024]
Abstract
Blindness poses a growing global challenge, with approximately 26% of cases attributed to degenerative retinal diseases. While gene therapy, optogenetic tools, photosensitive switches, and retinal prostheses offer hope for vision restoration, these high-cost therapies will benefit few patients. Understanding retinal diseases is therefore key to advance effective treatments, requiring in vitro models replicating pathology and allowing quantitative assessments for drug discovery. Pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) provide a unique solution given their limitless supply and ability to differentiate into light-responsive retinal tissues encompassing all cell types. This review focuses on the history and current state of photoreceptor and retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cell generation from PSCs. We explore the applications of this technology in disease modelling, experimental therapy testing, biomarker identification, and toxicity studies. We consider challenges in scalability, standardisation, and reproducibility, and stress the importance of incorporating vasculature and immune cells into retinal organoids. We advocate for high-throughput automation in data acquisition and analyses and underscore the value of advanced micro-physiological systems that fully capture the interactions between the neural retina, RPE, and choriocapillaris.
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4
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Spirig SE, Renner M. Toward Retinal Organoids in High-Throughput. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Med 2024; 14:a041275. [PMID: 37217280 PMCID: PMC10910359 DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a041275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Human retinal organoids recapitulate the cellular diversity, arrangement, gene expression, and functional aspects of the human retina. Protocols to generate human retinal organoids from pluripotent stem cells are typically labor intensive, include many manual handling steps, and the organoids need to be maintained for several months until they mature. To generate large numbers of human retinal organoids for therapy development and screening purposes, scaling up retinal organoid production, maintenance, and analysis is of utmost importance. In this review, we discuss strategies to increase the number of high-quality retinal organoids while reducing manual handling steps. We further review different approaches to analyze thousands of retinal organoids with currently available technologies and point to challenges that still await to be overcome both in culture and analysis of retinal organoids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan Erich Spirig
- Institute of Molecular and Clinical Ophthalmology Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Magdalena Renner
- Institute of Molecular and Clinical Ophthalmology Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
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5
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Gu Y, Zhang W, Wu X, Zhang Y, Xu K, Su J. Organoid assessment technologies. Clin Transl Med 2023; 13:e1499. [PMID: 38115706 PMCID: PMC10731122 DOI: 10.1002/ctm2.1499] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2023] [Revised: 11/13/2023] [Accepted: 11/17/2023] [Indexed: 12/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite enormous advances in the generation of organoids, robust and stable protocols of organoids are still a major challenge to researchers. Research for assessing structures of organoids and the evaluations of their functions on in vitro or in vivo is often limited by precision strategies. A growing interest in assessing organoids has arisen, aimed at standardizing the process of obtaining organoids to accurately resemble human-derived tissue. The complex microenvironment of organoids, intricate cellular crosstalk, organ-specific architectures and further complicate functions urgently quest for high-through schemes. By utilizing multi-omics analysis and single-cell analysis, cell-cell interaction mechanisms can be deciphered, and their structures can be investigated in a detailed view by histological analysis. In this review, we will conclude the novel approaches to study the molecular mechanism and cell heterogeneity of organoids and discuss the histological and morphological similarity of organoids in comparison to the human body. Future perspectives on functional analysis will be developed and the organoids will become mature models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuyuan Gu
- Institute of Translational MedicineShanghai UniversityShanghaiChina
- Organoid Research CenterShanghai UniversityShanghaiChina
- School of MedicineShanghai UniversityShanghaiChina
| | - Wencai Zhang
- Department of OrthopedicsFirst Affiliated HospitalJinan UniversityGuangzhouChina
| | - Xianmin Wu
- Department of OrthopedicsShanghai Zhongye HospitalShanghaiChina
| | - Yuanwei Zhang
- Institute of Translational MedicineShanghai UniversityShanghaiChina
- Organoid Research CenterShanghai UniversityShanghaiChina
- Department of OrthopaedicsXinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai JiaoTong University School of MedicineShanghaiChina
| | - Ke Xu
- Institute of Translational MedicineShanghai UniversityShanghaiChina
- Organoid Research CenterShanghai UniversityShanghaiChina
- Wenzhou Institute of Shanghai UniversityWenzhouChina
| | - Jiacan Su
- Institute of Translational MedicineShanghai UniversityShanghaiChina
- Organoid Research CenterShanghai UniversityShanghaiChina
- Department of OrthopaedicsXinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai JiaoTong University School of MedicineShanghaiChina
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6
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Chakrabarty K, Nayak D, Debnath J, Das D, Shetty R, Ghosh A. Retinal organoids in disease modeling and drug discovery: Opportunities and challenges. Surv Ophthalmol 2023:S0039-6257(23)00127-3. [PMID: 37778668 DOI: 10.1016/j.survophthal.2023.09.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2023] [Revised: 09/25/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/03/2023]
Abstract
Diseases leading to retinal cell loss can cause severe visual impairment and blindness. The lack of effective therapies to address retinal cell loss and the absence of intrinsic regeneration in the human retina leads to an irreversible pathological condition. Progress in recent years in the generation of human three-dimensional retinal organoids from pluripotent stem cells makes it possible to recreate the cytoarchitecture and associated cell-cell interactions of the human retina in remarkable detail. These human three-dimensional retinal organoid systems made of distinct retinal cell types and possessing contextual physiological responses allow the study of human retina development and retinal disease pathology in a way animal model and two-dimensional cell cultures were unable to achieve. We describe the derivation of retinal organoids from human pluripotent stem cells and their application for modeling retinal disease pathologies, while outlining the opportunities and challenges for its application in academia and industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Koushik Chakrabarty
- GROW Research Laboratory, Narayana Nethralaya Foundation, Bangalore, Karnataka, India.
| | - Divyani Nayak
- GROW Research Laboratory, Narayana Nethralaya Foundation, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
| | - Jayasree Debnath
- GROW Research Laboratory, Narayana Nethralaya Foundation, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
| | - Debashish Das
- Stem Cell Research Lab, GROW Lab, Narayana Nethralaya Foundation, Narayana Nethralaya, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
| | - Rohit Shetty
- Department of Cornea and Refractive Surgery, Narayana Nethralaya Eye Hospital, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
| | - Arkasubhra Ghosh
- GROW Research Laboratory, Narayana Nethralaya Foundation, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
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7
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Beaver D, Limnios IJ. A treatment within sight: challenges in the development of stem cell-derived photoreceptor therapies for retinal degenerative diseases. FRONTIERS IN TRANSPLANTATION 2023; 2:1130086. [PMID: 38993872 PMCID: PMC11235385 DOI: 10.3389/frtra.2023.1130086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2022] [Accepted: 09/07/2023] [Indexed: 07/13/2024]
Abstract
Stem cell therapies can potentially treat various retinal degenerative diseases, including age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and inherited retinal diseases like retinitis pigmentosa. For these diseases, transplanted cells may include stem cell-derived retinal pigmented epithelial (RPE) cells, photoreceptors, or a combination of both. Although stem cell-derived RPE cells have progressed to human clinical trials, therapies using photoreceptors and other retinal cell types are lagging. In this review, we discuss the potential use of human pluripotent stem cell (hPSC)-derived photoreceptors for the treatment of retinal degeneration and highlight the progress and challenges for their efficient production and clinical application in regenerative medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Davinia Beaver
- Clem Jones Centre for Regenerative Medicine, Bond University, Gold Coast, QL, Australia
| | - Ioannis Jason Limnios
- Clem Jones Centre for Regenerative Medicine, Bond University, Gold Coast, QL, Australia
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8
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Castro-Pérez E, Singh M, Sadangi S, Mela-Sánchez C, Setaluri V. Connecting the dots: Melanoma cell of origin, tumor cell plasticity, trans-differentiation, and drug resistance. Pigment Cell Melanoma Res 2023; 36:330-347. [PMID: 37132530 PMCID: PMC10524512 DOI: 10.1111/pcmr.13092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2022] [Revised: 02/17/2023] [Accepted: 04/17/2023] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Melanoma, a lethal malignancy that arises from melanocytes, exhibits a multiplicity of clinico-pathologically distinct subtypes in sun-exposed and non-sun-exposed areas. Melanocytes are derived from multipotent neural crest cells and are present in diverse anatomical locations, including skin, eyes, and various mucosal membranes. Tissue-resident melanocyte stem cells and melanocyte precursors contribute to melanocyte renewal. Elegant studies using mouse genetic models have shown that melanoma can arise from either melanocyte stem cells or differentiated pigment-producing melanocytes depending on a combination of tissue and anatomical site of origin and activation of oncogenic mutations (or overexpression) and/or the repression in expression or inactivating mutations in tumor suppressors. This variation raises the possibility that different subtypes of human melanomas (even subsets within each subtype) may also be a manifestation of malignancies of distinct cells of origin. Melanoma is known to exhibit phenotypic plasticity and trans-differentiation (defined as a tendency to differentiate into cell lineages other than the original lineage from which the tumor arose) along vascular and neural lineages. Additionally, stem cell-like properties such as pseudo-epithelial-to-mesenchymal (EMT-like) transition and expression of stem cell-related genes have also been associated with the development of melanoma drug resistance. Recent studies that employed reprogramming melanoma cells to induced pluripotent stem cells have uncovered potential relationships between melanoma plasticity, trans-differentiation, and drug resistance and implications for cell or origin of human cutaneous melanoma. This review provides a comprehensive summary of the current state of knowledge on melanoma cell of origin and the relationship between tumor cell plasticity and drug resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edgardo Castro-Pérez
- Center for Cellular and Molecular Biology of Diseases, Instituto de Investigaciones Científicas y Servicios de Alta Tecnología (INDICASAT-AIP), City of Knowledge, Panama City, Panama
- Department of Genetics and Molecular Biology, University of Panama, Panama City, Panama
| | - Mithalesh Singh
- Department of Dermatology, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, U.S.A
| | - Shreyans Sadangi
- Department of Dermatology, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, U.S.A
| | - Carmen Mela-Sánchez
- Department of Genetics and Molecular Biology, University of Panama, Panama City, Panama
| | - Vijayasaradhi Setaluri
- Department of Dermatology, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, U.S.A
- William S. Middleton VA Hospital, Madison, WI, U.S.A
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9
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Konteles V, Papathanasiou I, Tzetis M, Goussetis E, Trachana V, Mourmoura E, Balis C, Malizos K, Tsezou A. Integration of Transcriptome and MicroRNA Profile Analysis of iMSCs Defines Their Rejuvenated State and Conveys Them into a Novel Resource for Cell Therapy in Osteoarthritis. Cells 2023; 12:1756. [PMID: 37443790 PMCID: PMC10340510 DOI: 10.3390/cells12131756] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2023] [Revised: 06/18/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Although MSCs grant pronounced potential for cell therapies, several factors, such as their heterogeneity restrict their use. To overcome these limitations, iMSCs (MSCs derived from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) have attracted attention. Here, we analyzed the transcriptome of MSCs, iPSCs and iMSCs derived from healthy individuals and osteoarthritis (OA) patients and explored miRNA-mRNA interactions during these transitions. We performed RNA-seq and gene expression comparisons and Protein-Protein-Interaction analysis followed by GO enrichment and KEGG pathway analyses. MicroRNAs' (miRNA) expression profile using miRarrays and differentially expressed miRNA's impact on regulating iMSCs gene expression was also explored. Our analyses revealed that iMSCs derivation from iPSCs favors the expression of genes conferring high proliferation, differentiation, and migration properties, all of which contribute to a rejuvenated state of iMSCs compared to primary MSCs. Additionally, our exploration of the involvement of miRNAs in this rejuvenated iMSCs transcriptome concluded in twenty-six miRNAs that, as our analysis showed, are implicated in pluripotency. Notably, the identified here interactions between hsa-let7b/i, hsa-miR-221/222-3p, hsa-miR-302c, hsa-miR-181a, hsa-miR-331 with target genes HMGA2, IGF2BP3, STARD4, and APOL6 could prove to be the necessary tools that will convey iMSCs into the ideal mean for cell therapy in osteoarthritis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vasileios Konteles
- Laboratory of Cytogenetics and Molecular Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Thessaly, 41110 Larissa, Greece; (V.K.); (I.P.)
| | - Ioanna Papathanasiou
- Laboratory of Cytogenetics and Molecular Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Thessaly, 41110 Larissa, Greece; (V.K.); (I.P.)
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Thessaly, 41110 Larissa, Greece;
| | - Maria Tzetis
- Department of Medical Genetics, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece;
| | - Evgenios Goussetis
- Stem Cell Transplant Unit, Aghia Sophia Children’s Hospital, 11527 Athens, Greece;
| | - Varvara Trachana
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Thessaly, 41110 Larissa, Greece;
| | - Evanthia Mourmoura
- Laboratory of Cytogenetics and Molecular Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Thessaly, 41110 Larissa, Greece; (V.K.); (I.P.)
| | - Charalampos Balis
- Laboratory of Cytogenetics and Molecular Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Thessaly, 41110 Larissa, Greece; (V.K.); (I.P.)
| | - Konstantinos Malizos
- Department of Orthopaedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Thessaly, 41110 Larissa, Greece
| | - Aspasia Tsezou
- Laboratory of Cytogenetics and Molecular Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Thessaly, 41110 Larissa, Greece; (V.K.); (I.P.)
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Thessaly, 41110 Larissa, Greece;
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10
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Khan NM, Diaz-Hernandez ME, Chihab S, Priyadarshani P, Bhattaram P, Mortensen LJ, Guzzo RM, Drissi H. Differential chondrogenic differentiation between iPSC derived from healthy and OA cartilage is associated with changes in epigenetic regulation and metabolic transcriptomic signatures. eLife 2023; 12:83138. [PMID: 36715686 PMCID: PMC9886280 DOI: 10.7554/elife.83138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2022] [Accepted: 01/16/2023] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) are potential cell sources for regenerative medicine. The iPSCs exhibit a preference for lineage differentiation to the donor cell type indicating the existence of memory of origin. Although the intrinsic effect of the donor cell type on differentiation of iPSCs is well recognized, whether disease-specific factors of donor cells influence the differentiation capacity of iPSC remains unknown. Using viral based reprogramming, we demonstrated the generation of iPSCs from chondrocytes isolated from healthy (AC-iPSCs) and osteoarthritis cartilage (OA-iPSCs). These reprogrammed cells acquired markers of pluripotency and differentiated into uncommitted mesenchymal-like progenitors. Interestingly, AC-iPSCs exhibited enhanced chondrogenic potential as compared OA-iPSCs and showed increased expression of chondrogenic genes. Pan-transcriptome analysis showed that chondrocytes derived from AC-iPSCs were enriched in molecular pathways related to energy metabolism and epigenetic regulation, together with distinct expression signature that distinguishes them from OA-iPSCs. Our molecular tracing data demonstrated that dysregulation of epigenetic and metabolic factors seen in OA chondrocytes relative to healthy chondrocytes persisted following iPSC reprogramming and differentiation toward mesenchymal progenitors. Our results suggest that the epigenetic and metabolic memory of disease may predispose OA-iPSCs for their reduced chondrogenic differentiation and thus regulation at epigenetic and metabolic level may be an effective strategy for controlling the chondrogenic potential of iPSCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nazir M Khan
- Department of Orthopaedics, Emory UniversityAtlantaUnited States
- Atlanta VA Medical CenterDecaturUnited States
| | - Martha Elena Diaz-Hernandez
- Department of Orthopaedics, Emory UniversityAtlantaUnited States
- Atlanta VA Medical CenterDecaturUnited States
| | - Samir Chihab
- Department of Orthopaedics, Emory UniversityAtlantaUnited States
- Atlanta VA Medical CenterDecaturUnited States
| | - Priyanka Priyadarshani
- School of Chemical Materials and Biomedical Engineering, University of GeorgiaAthensUnited States
| | | | - Luke J Mortensen
- School of Chemical Materials and Biomedical Engineering, University of GeorgiaAthensUnited States
- Regenerative Bioscience Center, E.L. Rhodes Center for ADS, University of GeorgiaAthensUnited States
| | - Rosa M Guzzo
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Connecticut HealthFarmingtonUnited States
| | - Hicham Drissi
- Department of Orthopaedics, Emory UniversityAtlantaUnited States
- Atlanta VA Medical CenterDecaturUnited States
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11
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Cheng L, Kuehn MH. Human Retinal Organoids in Therapeutic Discovery: A Review of Applications. Handb Exp Pharmacol 2023; 281:157-187. [PMID: 37608005 DOI: 10.1007/164_2023_691] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/24/2023]
Abstract
Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs)- and induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs)-derived retinal organoids (ROs) are three-dimensional laminar structures that recapitulate the developmental trajectory of the human retina. The ROs provide a fascinating tool for basic science research, eye disease modeling, treatment development, and biobanking for tissue/cell replacement. Here we review the previous studies that paved the way for RO technology, the two most widely accepted, standardized protocols to generate ROs, and the utilization of ROs in medical discovery. This review is conducted from the perspective of basic science research, transplantation for regenerative medicine, disease modeling, and therapeutic development for drug screening and gene therapy. ROs have opened avenues for new technologies such as assembloids, coculture with other organoids, vasculature or immune cells, microfluidic devices (organ-on-chip), extracellular vesicles for drug delivery, biomaterial engineering, advanced imaging techniques, and artificial intelligence (AI). Nevertheless, some shortcomings of ROs currently limit their translation for medical applications and pose a challenge for future research. Despite these limitations, ROs are a powerful tool for functional studies and therapeutic strategies for retinal diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lin Cheng
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA, USA.
- Center for the Prevention and Treatment of Visual Loss, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Iowa City, IA, USA.
| | - Markus H Kuehn
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA, USA
- Center for the Prevention and Treatment of Visual Loss, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Iowa City, IA, USA
- Institute for Vision Research, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA, USA
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12
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Eintracht J, Harding P, Lima Cunha D, Moosajee M. Efficient embryoid-based method to improve generation of optic vesicles from human induced pluripotent stem cells. F1000Res 2022; 11:324. [PMID: 35811797 PMCID: PMC9218590 DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.108829.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/08/2022] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Animal models have provided many insights into ocular development and disease, but they remain suboptimal for understanding human oculogenesis. Eye development requires spatiotemporal gene expression patterns and disease phenotypes can differ significantly between humans and animal models, with patient-associated mutations causing embryonic lethality reported in some animal models. The emergence of human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC) technology has provided a new resource for dissecting the complex nature of early eye morphogenesis through the generation of three-dimensional (3D) cellular models. By using patient-specific hiPSCs to generate in vitro optic vesicle-like models, we can enhance the understanding of early developmental eye disorders and provide a pre-clinical platform for disease modelling and therapeutics testing. A major challenge of in vitro optic vesicle generation is the low efficiency of differentiation in 3D cultures. To address this, we adapted a previously published protocol of retinal organoid differentiation to improve embryoid body formation using a microwell plate. Established morphology, upregulated transcript levels of known early eye-field transcription factors and protein expression of standard retinal progenitor markers confirmed the optic vesicle/presumptive optic cup identity of in vitro models between day 20 and 50 of culture. This adapted protocol is relevant to researchers seeking a physiologically relevant model of early human ocular development and disease with a view to replacing animal models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan Eintracht
- Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London, London, EC1V 9EL, UK
| | - Philippa Harding
- Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London, London, EC1V 9EL, UK
| | - Dulce Lima Cunha
- Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London, London, EC1V 9EL, UK
| | - Mariya Moosajee
- Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London, London, EC1V 9EL, UK
- The Francis Crick Institute, London, NW1 1AT, UK
- Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London, EC1V 2PD, UK
- Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, London, WC1N 3JH, UK
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13
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Poetsch MS, Strano A, Guan K. Human induced pluripotent stem cells: From cell origin, genomic stability and epigenetic memory to translational medicine. Stem Cells 2022; 40:546-555. [PMID: 35291013 PMCID: PMC9216482 DOI: 10.1093/stmcls/sxac020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2021] [Accepted: 03/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
Abstract
The potential of human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) to self-renew indefinitely and to differentiate virtually into any cell type in unlimited quantities makes them attractive for in-vitro disease modeling, drug screening, personalized medicine, and regenerative therapies. As the genome of iPSCs thoroughly reproduces that of the somatic cells from which they are derived, they may possess genetic abnormalities, which would seriously compromise their utility and safety. Genetic aberrations could be present in donor somatic cells and then transferred during iPSC generation, or they could occur as de novo mutations during reprogramming or prolonged cell culture. Therefore, to warrant safety of human iPSCs for clinical applications, analysis of genetic integrity, particularly during iPSC generation and differentiation, should be carried out on a regular basis. On the other hand, reprogramming of somatic cells to iPSCs requires profound modifications in the epigenetic landscape. Changes in chromatin structure by DNA methylations and histone tail modifications aim to reset the gene expression pattern of somatic cells to facilitate and establish self-renewal and pluripotency. However, residual epigenetic memory influences the iPSC phenotype, which may affect their application in disease therapeutics. The present review discusses the somatic cell origin, genetic stability, and epigenetic memory of iPSCs and their impact on basic and translational research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mareike S Poetsch
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Anna Strano
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Kaomei Guan
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- Corresponding author: Kaomei Guan, Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Fetscherstraße 74, 01307 Dresden, Germany. Tel: +49 351 458 6246; Fax: +49 351 458 6315;
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14
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Salbaum KA, Shelton ER, Serwane F. Retina organoids: Window into the biophysics of neuronal systems. BIOPHYSICS REVIEWS 2022; 3:011302. [PMID: 38505227 PMCID: PMC10903499 DOI: 10.1063/5.0077014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2021] [Accepted: 12/16/2021] [Indexed: 03/21/2024]
Abstract
With a kind of magnetism, the human retina draws the eye of neuroscientist and physicist alike. It is attractive as a self-organizing system, which forms as a part of the central nervous system via biochemical and mechanical cues. The retina is also intriguing as an electro-optical device, converting photons into voltages to perform on-the-fly filtering before the signals are sent to our brain. Here, we consider how the advent of stem cell derived in vitro analogs of the retina, termed retina organoids, opens up an exploration of the interplay between optics, electrics, and mechanics in a complex neuronal network, all in a Petri dish. This review presents state-of-the-art retina organoid protocols by emphasizing links to the biochemical and mechanical signals of in vivo retinogenesis. Electrophysiological recording of active signal processing becomes possible as retina organoids generate light sensitive and synaptically connected photoreceptors. Experimental biophysical tools provide data to steer the development of mathematical models operating at different levels of coarse-graining. In concert, they provide a means to study how mechanical factors guide retina self-assembly. In turn, this understanding informs the engineering of mechanical signals required to tailor the growth of neuronal network morphology. Tackling the complex developmental and computational processes in the retina requires an interdisciplinary endeavor combining experiment and theory, physics, and biology. The reward is enticing: in the next few years, retina organoids could offer a glimpse inside the machinery of simultaneous cellular self-assembly and signal processing, all in an in vitro setting.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Elijah R. Shelton
- Faculty of Physics and Center for NanoScience, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
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15
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Zibetti C. Deciphering the Retinal Epigenome during Development, Disease and Reprogramming: Advancements, Challenges and Perspectives. Cells 2022; 11:cells11050806. [PMID: 35269428 PMCID: PMC8908986 DOI: 10.3390/cells11050806] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2022] [Revised: 02/15/2022] [Accepted: 02/18/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Retinal neurogenesis is driven by concerted actions of transcription factors, some of which are expressed in a continuum and across several cell subtypes throughout development. While seemingly redundant, many factors diversify their regulatory outcome on gene expression, by coordinating variations in chromatin landscapes to drive divergent retinal specification programs. Recent studies have furthered the understanding of the epigenetic contribution to the progression of age-related macular degeneration, a leading cause of blindness in the elderly. The knowledge of the epigenomic mechanisms that control the acquisition and stabilization of retinal cell fates and are evoked upon damage, holds the potential for the treatment of retinal degeneration. Herein, this review presents the state-of-the-art approaches to investigate the retinal epigenome during development, disease, and reprogramming. A pipeline is then reviewed to functionally interrogate the epigenetic and transcriptional networks underlying cell fate specification, relying on a truly unbiased screening of open chromatin states. The related work proposes an inferential model to identify gene regulatory networks, features the first footprinting analysis and the first tentative, systematic query of candidate pioneer factors in the retina ever conducted in any model organism, leading to the identification of previously uncharacterized master regulators of retinal cell identity, such as the nuclear factor I, NFI. This pipeline is virtually applicable to the study of genetic programs and candidate pioneer factors in any developmental context. Finally, challenges and limitations intrinsic to the current next-generation sequencing techniques are discussed, as well as recent advances in super-resolution imaging, enabling spatio-temporal resolution of the genome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Zibetti
- Department of Ophthalmology, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Kirkeveien 166, Building 36, 0455 Oslo, Norway
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16
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Afanasyeva TAV, Corral-Serrano JC, Garanto A, Roepman R, Cheetham ME, Collin RWJ. A look into retinal organoids: methods, analytical techniques, and applications. Cell Mol Life Sci 2021; 78:6505-6532. [PMID: 34420069 PMCID: PMC8558279 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-021-03917-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2021] [Revised: 07/14/2021] [Accepted: 08/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Inherited retinal diseases (IRDs) cause progressive loss of light-sensitive photoreceptors in the eye and can lead to blindness. Gene-based therapies for IRDs have shown remarkable progress in the past decade, but the vast majority of forms remain untreatable. In the era of personalised medicine, induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) emerge as a valuable system for cell replacement and to model IRD because they retain the specific patient genome and can differentiate into any adult cell type. Three-dimensional (3D) iPSCs-derived retina-like tissue called retinal organoid contains all major retina-specific cell types: amacrine, bipolar, horizontal, retinal ganglion cells, Müller glia, as well as rod and cone photoreceptors. Here, we describe the main applications of retinal organoids and provide a comprehensive overview of the state-of-art analysis methods that apply to this model system. Finally, we will discuss the outlook for improvements that would bring the cellular model a step closer to become an established system in research and treatment development of IRDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tess A V Afanasyeva
- Department of Human Genetics and Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Geert Grooteplein 10, 6525 GA, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | | | - Alejandro Garanto
- Department of Pediatrics, Amalia Children's Hospital and Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Department of Human Genetics and Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Ronald Roepman
- Department of Human Genetics and Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Michael E Cheetham
- UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, 11-43 Bath Street, London, EC1V 9EL, UK.
| | - Rob W J Collin
- Department of Human Genetics and Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Geert Grooteplein 10, 6525 GA, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
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17
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Saint-André V. Computational biology approaches for mapping transcriptional regulatory networks. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2021; 19:4884-4895. [PMID: 34522292 PMCID: PMC8426465 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2021.08.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2021] [Revised: 08/16/2021] [Accepted: 08/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Transcriptional Regulatory Networks (TRNs) are mainly responsible for the cell-type- or cell-state-specific expression of gene sets from the same DNA sequence. However, so far there are no precise maps of TRNs available for each cell-type or cell-state, and no ideal tool to map those networks clearly and in full from biological samples. In this review, major approaches and tools to map TRNs from high-throughput data are presented, depending on the type of methods or data used to infer them, and their advantages and limitations are discussed. After summarizing the main principles defining the topology and structure–function relationships in TRNs, an overview of the extensive work done to map TRNs from bulk transcriptomic data will be presented by type of methodological approach. Most recent modellings of TRNs using other types of molecular data or integrating different data types, including single-cell RNA-sequencing and chromatin information, will then be discussed, before briefly concluding with improvements expected to come in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Violaine Saint-André
- Hub de Bioinformatique et Biostatistique - Département Biologie Computationnelle, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
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18
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Adherent but Not Suspension-Cultured Embryoid Bodies Develop into Laminated Retinal Organoids. J Dev Biol 2021; 9:jdb9030038. [PMID: 34564087 PMCID: PMC8482155 DOI: 10.3390/jdb9030038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2021] [Revised: 08/31/2021] [Accepted: 09/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) are differentiated into three-dimensional (3D) retinal organoids to study retinogenesis and diseases that would otherwise be impossible. The complexity and low yield in current protocols remain a technical challenge, particularly for inexperienced personnel. Differentiation protocols require labor-intensive and time-consuming dissection of optic vesicles (OVs). Here we compare this method with a suspension method of developing retinal organoids. iPSCs were differentiated with standard protocols but the suspension-grown method omitted the re-plating of embryoid bodies and dissection of OVs. All other media and treatments were identical between developmental methods. Developmental maturation was evaluated with RT-qPCR and immunocytochemistry. Dissection- and suspension-derived retinal organoids displayed temporal biogenesis of retinal cell types. Differences in retinal organoids generated by the two methods of differentiation included temporal developmental and the organization of neural retina layers. Retinal organoids grown in suspension showed delayed development and disorganized retinal layers compared to the dissected retinal organoids. We found that omitting the re-plating of EBs to form OVs resulted in numerous OVs that were easy to identify and matured along a retinal lineage. While more efficient, the suspension method led to retinal organoids with disorganized retinal layers compared to those obtained using conventional dissection protocols.
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19
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iPSC Preparation and Epigenetic Memory: Does the Tissue Origin Matter? Cells 2021; 10:cells10061470. [PMID: 34208270 PMCID: PMC8230744 DOI: 10.3390/cells10061470] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2021] [Revised: 06/06/2021] [Accepted: 06/10/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The production of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) represent a breakthrough in regenerative medicine, providing new opportunities for understanding basic molecular mechanisms of human development and molecular aspects of degenerative diseases. In contrast to human embryonic stem cells (ESCs), iPSCs do not raise any ethical concerns regarding the onset of human personhood. Still, they present some technical issues related to immune rejection after transplantation and potential tumorigenicity, indicating that more steps forward must be completed to use iPSCs as a viable tool for in vivo tissue regeneration. On the other hand, cell source origin may be pivotal to iPSC generation since residual epigenetic memory could influence the iPSC phenotype and transplantation outcome. In this paper, we first review the impact of reprogramming methods and the choice of the tissue of origin on the epigenetic memory of the iPSCs or their differentiated cells. Next, we describe the importance of induction methods to determine the reprogramming efficiency and avoid integration in the host genome that could alter gene expression. Finally, we compare the significance of the tissue of origin and the inter-individual genetic variation modification that has been lightly evaluated so far, but which significantly impacts reprogramming.
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20
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Tang Y, Tang Q, Wei H, Hu P, Zou D, Liang R, Ling Y. Hub Genes Associated with the Diagnosis of Diabetic Retinopathy. Int J Gen Med 2021; 14:1739-1750. [PMID: 33986612 PMCID: PMC8110263 DOI: 10.2147/ijgm.s311683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2021] [Accepted: 04/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose This study aimed to identify genes that may be effective in diagnosing or treating diabetic retinopathy (DR), the most common complication of diabetes mellitus (DM). Methods Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified between DR and DM in GSE146615 dataset. DEGs that were consistently up- or down-regulated under both standard glucose and high glucose conditions were identified as common genes and used to generate a protein-protein interaction network and modules. The module genes were assessed for the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), leading to the identification of hub genes. Differentially methylated probes in GSE76169 were also compared with common DEGs to identify specific methylation markers of DR. Enrichment analysis was used to explore the biological characteristics. The Short Time-series Expression Miner algorithm was used to identify genes that were progressively dysregulated in the sequence: healthy controls < DM < DR. Results A total of 1917 common genes were identified for seven modules. The eight genes with AUC > 0.8 under high glucose and standard glucose conditions were considered as hub genes. The module genes were significantly enriched during vascular smooth muscle cell development and regulation of oxygen metabolism, while 92 methylation markers were involved in the similar terms. Among the progressively dysregulated genes, three intersection genes under both standard glucose and high glucose conditions were found to be module genes and were considered as key genes. Conclusion We identified eight potential DR-specific diagnostic and therapeutic genes, whose abnormal expression can cause oxidative stress, thus favoring the course of the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanhui Tang
- Department of Ophthalmology, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, 530022, People's Republic of China.,Department of Ophthalmology, The First People's Hospital of Nanning, Nanning, Guangxi, 530022, People's Republic of China
| | - Qi Tang
- Department of Ophthalmology, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, 530022, People's Republic of China.,Department of Ophthalmology, The First People's Hospital of Nanning, Nanning, Guangxi, 530022, People's Republic of China
| | - Haicheng Wei
- Department of Ophthalmology, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, 530022, People's Republic of China.,Department of Ophthalmology, The First People's Hospital of Nanning, Nanning, Guangxi, 530022, People's Republic of China
| | - Pinzhang Hu
- Department of Ophthalmology, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, 530022, People's Republic of China.,Department of Ophthalmology, The First People's Hospital of Nanning, Nanning, Guangxi, 530022, People's Republic of China
| | - Donghua Zou
- Department of Neurology, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, 530022, People's Republic of China
| | - Rixiong Liang
- Department of Ophthalmology, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, 530022, People's Republic of China.,Department of Ophthalmology, The First People's Hospital of Nanning, Nanning, Guangxi, 530022, People's Republic of China
| | - Yu Ling
- Department of Ophthalmology, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, 530022, People's Republic of China.,Department of Ophthalmology, The First People's Hospital of Nanning, Nanning, Guangxi, 530022, People's Republic of China
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21
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Völkner M, Kurth T, Schor J, Ebner LJA, Bardtke L, Kavak C, Hackermüller J, Karl MO. Mouse Retinal Organoid Growth and Maintenance in Longer-Term Culture. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:645704. [PMID: 33996806 PMCID: PMC8114082 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.645704] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2020] [Accepted: 03/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Using retinal organoid systems, organ-like 3D tissues, relies implicitly on their robustness. However, essential key parameters, particularly retinal growth and longer-term culture, are still insufficiently defined. Here, we hypothesize that a previously optimized protocol for high yield of evenly-sized mouse retinal organoids with low variability facilitates assessment of such parameters. We demonstrate that these organoids reliably complete retinogenesis, and can be maintained at least up to 60 days in culture. During this time, the organoids continue to mature on a molecular and (ultra)structural level: They develop photoreceptor outer segments and synapses, transiently maintain its cell composition for about 5-10 days after completing retinogenesis, and subsequently develop pathologic changes - mainly of the inner but also outer retina and reactive gliosis. To test whether this organoid system provides experimental access to the retina during and upon completion of development, we defined and stimulated organoid growth by activating sonic hedgehog signaling, which in patients and mice in vivo with a congenital defect leads to enlarged eyes. Here, a sonic hedgehog signaling activator increased retinal epithelia length in the organoid system when applied during but not after completion of development. This experimentally supports organoid maturation, stability, and experimental reproducibility in this organoid system, and provides a potential enlarged retina pathology model, as well as a protocol for producing larger organoids. Together, our study advances the understanding of retinal growth, maturation, and maintenance, and further optimizes the organoid system for future utilization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuela Völkner
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Thomas Kurth
- Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering, Technology Platform, Electron Microscopy and Histology Facility, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Jana Schor
- Young Investigators Group Bioinformatics and Transcriptomics, Department Molecular Systems Biology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Lynn J A Ebner
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Lara Bardtke
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Cagri Kavak
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Jörg Hackermüller
- Young Investigators Group Bioinformatics and Transcriptomics, Department Molecular Systems Biology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Mike O Karl
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) Dresden, Dresden, Germany.,CRTD - Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
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22
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Raeisossadati R, Ferrari MFR, Kihara AH, AlDiri I, Gross JM. Epigenetic regulation of retinal development. Epigenetics Chromatin 2021; 14:11. [PMID: 33563331 PMCID: PMC7871400 DOI: 10.1186/s13072-021-00384-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2020] [Accepted: 01/28/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
In the developing vertebrate retina, retinal progenitor cells (RPCs) proliferate and give rise to terminally differentiated neurons with exquisite spatio-temporal precision. Lineage commitment, fate determination and terminal differentiation are controlled by intricate crosstalk between the genome and epigenome. Indeed, epigenetic regulation plays pivotal roles in numerous cell fate specification and differentiation events in the retina. Moreover, aberrant chromatin structure can contribute to developmental disorders and retinal pathologies. In this review, we highlight recent advances in our understanding of epigenetic regulation in the retina. We also provide insight into several aspects of epigenetic-related regulation that should be investigated in future studies of retinal development and disease. Importantly, focusing on these mechanisms could contribute to the development of novel treatment strategies targeting a variety of retinal disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reza Raeisossadati
- Departamento de Genética E Biologia Evolutiva, Instituto de Biociencias, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Rua Do Matao, 277, Cidade Universitaria, Sao Paulo, SP, 05508-090, Brazil.,Departments of Ophthalmology and Developmental Biology, Louis J. Fox Center for Vision Restoration, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Merari F R Ferrari
- Departamento de Genética E Biologia Evolutiva, Instituto de Biociencias, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Rua Do Matao, 277, Cidade Universitaria, Sao Paulo, SP, 05508-090, Brazil
| | | | - Issam AlDiri
- Departments of Ophthalmology and Developmental Biology, Louis J. Fox Center for Vision Restoration, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Jeffrey M Gross
- Departments of Ophthalmology and Developmental Biology, Louis J. Fox Center for Vision Restoration, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
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23
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Basinski BW, Balikov DA, Aksu M, Li Q, Rao RC. Ubiquitous Chromatin Modifiers in Congenital Retinal Diseases: Implications for Disease Modeling and Regenerative Medicine. Trends Mol Med 2021; 27:365-378. [PMID: 33573910 DOI: 10.1016/j.molmed.2021.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2020] [Revised: 01/04/2021] [Accepted: 01/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Retinal congenital malformations known as microphthalmia, anophthalmia, and coloboma (MAC) are associated with alterations in genes encoding epigenetic proteins that modify chromatin. We review newly discovered functions of such chromatin modifiers in retinal development and discuss the role of epigenetics in MAC in humans and animal models. Further, we highlight how advances in epigenomic technologies provide foundational and regenerative medicine-related insights into blinding disorders. Combining knowledge of epigenetics and pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) is a promising avenue because epigenetic factors cooperate with eye field transcription factors (EFTFs) to direct PSC fate - a foundation for congenital retinal disease modeling and cell therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian W Basinski
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, W.K. Kellogg Eye Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Daniel A Balikov
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, W.K. Kellogg Eye Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Michael Aksu
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, W.K. Kellogg Eye Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Qiang Li
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, W.K. Kellogg Eye Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Rajesh C Rao
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, W.K. Kellogg Eye Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Department of Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA; A. Alfred Taubman Medical Research Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Section of Ophthalmology, Surgery Service, Veterans Administration Ann Arbor Healthsystem, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
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24
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McLeod C, Gout AM, Zhou X, Thrasher A, Rahbarinia D, Brady SW, Macias M, Birch K, Finkelstein D, Sunny J, Mudunuri R, Orr BA, Treadway M, Davidson B, Ard TK, Chiao A, Swistak A, Wiggins S, Foy S, Wang J, Sioson E, Wang S, Michael JR, Liu Y, Ma X, Patel A, Edmonson MN, Wilkinson MR, Frantz AM, Chang TC, Tian L, Lei S, Islam SMA, Meyer C, Thangaraj N, Tater P, Kandali V, Ma S, Nguyen T, Serang O, McGuire I, Robison N, Gentry D, Tang X, Palmer LE, Wu G, Suh E, Tanner L, McMurry J, Lear M, Pappo AS, Wang Z, Wilson CL, Cheng Y, Meshinchi S, Alexandrov LB, Weiss MJ, Armstrong GT, Robison LL, Yasui Y, Nichols KE, Ellison DW, Bangur C, Mullighan CG, Baker SJ, Dyer MA, Miller G, Newman S, Rusch M, Daly R, Perry K, Downing JR, Zhang J. St. Jude Cloud: A Pediatric Cancer Genomic Data-Sharing Ecosystem. Cancer Discov 2021; 11:1082-1099. [PMID: 33408242 DOI: 10.1158/2159-8290.cd-20-1230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 101] [Impact Index Per Article: 33.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2020] [Revised: 11/17/2020] [Accepted: 12/14/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Effective data sharing is key to accelerating research to improve diagnostic precision, treatment efficacy, and long-term survival in pediatric cancer and other childhood catastrophic diseases. We present St. Jude Cloud (https://www.stjude.cloud), a cloud-based data-sharing ecosystem for accessing, analyzing, and visualizing genomic data from >10,000 pediatric patients with cancer and long-term survivors, and >800 pediatric sickle cell patients. Harmonized genomic data totaling 1.25 petabytes are freely available, including 12,104 whole genomes, 7,697 whole exomes, and 2,202 transcriptomes. The resource is expanding rapidly, with regular data uploads from St. Jude's prospective clinical genomics programs. Three interconnected apps within the ecosystem-Genomics Platform, Pediatric Cancer Knowledgebase, and Visualization Community-enable simultaneously performing advanced data analysis in the cloud and enhancing the Pediatric Cancer knowledgebase. We demonstrate the value of the ecosystem through use cases that classify 135 pediatric cancer subtypes by gene expression profiling and map mutational signatures across 35 pediatric cancer subtypes. SIGNIFICANCE: To advance research and treatment of pediatric cancer, we developed St. Jude Cloud, a data-sharing ecosystem for accessing >1.2 petabytes of raw genomic data from >10,000 pediatric patients and survivors, innovative analysis workflows, integrative multiomics visualizations, and a knowledgebase of published data contributed by the global pediatric cancer community.This article is highlighted in the In This Issue feature, p. 995.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clay McLeod
- Department of Computational Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee
| | - Alexander M Gout
- Department of Computational Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee
| | - Xin Zhou
- Department of Computational Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee
| | - Andrew Thrasher
- Department of Computational Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee
| | - Delaram Rahbarinia
- Department of Computational Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee
| | - Samuel W Brady
- Department of Computational Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee
| | - Michael Macias
- Department of Computational Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee
| | - Kirby Birch
- Department of Computational Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee
| | - David Finkelstein
- Department of Computational Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee
| | - Jobin Sunny
- Department of Computational Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee
| | - Rahul Mudunuri
- Department of Computational Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee
| | - Brent A Orr
- Department of Pathology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee
| | - Madison Treadway
- Department of Computational Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee
| | | | | | - Arthur Chiao
- Department of Computational Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee
| | - Andrew Swistak
- Department of Computational Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee
| | - Stephanie Wiggins
- Department of Computational Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee
| | - Scott Foy
- Department of Computational Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee
| | - Jian Wang
- Department of Computational Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee
| | - Edgar Sioson
- Department of Computational Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee
| | - Shuoguo Wang
- Department of Computational Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee
| | - J Robert Michael
- Department of Computational Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee
| | - Yu Liu
- Department of Computational Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee
| | - Xiaotu Ma
- Department of Computational Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee
| | - Aman Patel
- Department of Computational Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee
| | - Michael N Edmonson
- Department of Computational Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee
| | - Mark R Wilkinson
- Department of Computational Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee
| | - Andrew M Frantz
- Department of Computational Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee
| | - Ti-Cheng Chang
- Department of Computational Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee
| | - Liqing Tian
- Department of Computational Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee
| | - Shaohua Lei
- Department of Computational Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee
| | - S M Ashiqul Islam
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine and Department of Bioengineering, Moores Cancer Center, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Irina McGuire
- Department of Information Services, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee
| | - Nedra Robison
- Department of Information Services, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee
| | - Darrell Gentry
- Department of Information Services, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee
| | - Xing Tang
- Department of Hematology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee
| | - Lance E Palmer
- Department of Hematology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee
| | - Gang Wu
- Department of Computational Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee
| | - Ed Suh
- Department of Information Services, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee
| | - Leigh Tanner
- Department of Information Services, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee
| | - James McMurry
- Department of Information Services, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee
| | - Matthew Lear
- Department of Pathology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee
| | - Alberto S Pappo
- Department of Oncology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee
| | - Zhaoming Wang
- Department of Computational Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee.,Department of Epidemiology and Cancer Control, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee
| | - Carmen L Wilson
- Department of Epidemiology and Cancer Control, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee
| | - Yong Cheng
- Department of Hematology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee
| | - Soheil Meshinchi
- Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center Professor of Pediatrics, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington
| | - Ludmil B Alexandrov
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine and Department of Bioengineering, Moores Cancer Center, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California
| | - Mitchell J Weiss
- Department of Hematology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee
| | - Gregory T Armstrong
- Department of Epidemiology and Cancer Control, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee
| | - Leslie L Robison
- Department of Epidemiology and Cancer Control, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee
| | - Yutaka Yasui
- Department of Epidemiology and Cancer Control, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee
| | - Kim E Nichols
- Department of Oncology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee
| | - David W Ellison
- Department of Pathology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee
| | | | - Charles G Mullighan
- Department of Pathology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee
| | - Suzanne J Baker
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee
| | - Michael A Dyer
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee
| | | | - Scott Newman
- Department of Computational Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee
| | - Michael Rusch
- Department of Computational Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee
| | | | - Keith Perry
- Department of Information Services, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee.
| | - James R Downing
- Department of Pathology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee.
| | - Jinghui Zhang
- Department of Computational Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee.
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25
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Harding P, Cunha DL, Moosajee M. Animal and cellular models of microphthalmia. THERAPEUTIC ADVANCES IN RARE DISEASE 2021; 2:2633004021997447. [PMID: 37181112 PMCID: PMC10032472 DOI: 10.1177/2633004021997447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2021] [Accepted: 02/02/2021] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
Microphthalmia is a rare developmental eye disorder affecting 1 in 7000 births. It is defined as a small (axial length ⩾2 standard deviations below the age-adjusted mean) underdeveloped eye, caused by disruption of ocular development through genetic or environmental factors in the first trimester of pregnancy. Clinical phenotypic heterogeneity exists amongst patients with varying levels of severity, and associated ocular and systemic features. Up to 11% of blind children are reported to have microphthalmia, yet currently no treatments are available. By identifying the aetiology of microphthalmia and understanding how the mechanisms of eye development are disrupted, we can gain a better understanding of the pathogenesis. Animal models, mainly mouse, zebrafish and Xenopus, have provided extensive information on the genetic regulation of oculogenesis, and how perturbation of these pathways leads to microphthalmia. However, differences exist between species, hence cellular models, such as patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) optic vesicles, are now being used to provide greater insights into the human disease process. Progress in 3D cellular modelling techniques has enhanced the ability of researchers to study interactions of different cell types during eye development. Through improved molecular knowledge of microphthalmia, preventative or postnatal therapies may be developed, together with establishing genotype-phenotype correlations in order to provide patients with the appropriate prognosis, multidisciplinary care and informed genetic counselling. This review summarises some key discoveries from animal and cellular models of microphthalmia and discusses how innovative new models can be used to further our understanding in the future. Plain language summary Animal and Cellular Models of the Eye Disorder, Microphthalmia (Small Eye) Microphthalmia, meaning a small, underdeveloped eye, is a rare disorder that children are born with. Genetic changes or variations in the environment during the first 3 months of pregnancy can disrupt early development of the eye, resulting in microphthalmia. Up to 11% of blind children have microphthalmia, yet currently no treatments are available. By understanding the genes necessary for eye development, we can determine how disruption by genetic changes or environmental factors can cause this condition. This helps us understand why microphthalmia occurs, and ensure patients are provided with the appropriate clinical care and genetic counselling advice. Additionally, by understanding the causes of microphthalmia, researchers can develop treatments to prevent or reduce the severity of this condition. Animal models, particularly mice, zebrafish and frogs, which can also develop small eyes due to the same genetic/environmental changes, have helped us understand the genes which are important for eye development and can cause birth eye defects when disrupted. Studying a patient's own cells grown in the laboratory can further help researchers understand how changes in genes affect their function. Both animal and cellular models can be used to develop and test new drugs, which could provide treatment options for patients living with microphthalmia. This review summarises the key discoveries from animal and cellular models of microphthalmia and discusses how innovative new models can be used to further our understanding in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Mariya Moosajee
- UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, 11-43 Bath
Street, London, EC1V 9EL, UK
- Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust,
London, UK
- Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS
Foundation Trust, London, UK
- The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
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26
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O'Hara-Wright M, Gonzalez-Cordero A. Retinal organoids: a window into human retinal development. Development 2020; 147:147/24/dev189746. [PMID: 33361444 PMCID: PMC7774906 DOI: 10.1242/dev.189746] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Retinal development and maturation are orchestrated by a series of interacting signalling networks that drive the morphogenetic transformation of the anterior developing brain. Studies in model organisms continue to elucidate these complex series of events. However, the human retina shows many differences from that of other organisms and the investigation of human eye development now benefits from stem cell-derived organoids. Retinal differentiation methods have progressed from simple 2D adherent cultures to self-organising micro-physiological systems. As models of development, these have collectively offered new insights into the previously unexplored early development of the human retina and informed our knowledge of the key cell fate decisions that govern the specification of light-sensitive photoreceptors. Although the developmental trajectories of other retinal cell types remain more elusive, the collation of omics datasets, combined with advanced culture methodology, will enable modelling of the intricate process of human retinogenesis and retinal disease in vitro. Summary: Retinal organoid systems derived from human pluripotent stem cells are micro-physiological systems that offer new insights into previously unexplored human retina development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle O'Hara-Wright
- Stem Cell Medicine Group, Children's Medical Research Institute, University of Sydney, Westmead, 2145, NSW, Australia.,School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Westmead, 2145, NSW, Australia
| | - Anai Gonzalez-Cordero
- Stem Cell Medicine Group, Children's Medical Research Institute, University of Sydney, Westmead, 2145, NSW, Australia .,School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Westmead, 2145, NSW, Australia
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27
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Kang Q, Yang C. Oxidative stress and diabetic retinopathy: Molecular mechanisms, pathogenetic role and therapeutic implications. Redox Biol 2020; 37:101799. [PMID: 33248932 PMCID: PMC7767789 DOI: 10.1016/j.redox.2020.101799] [Citation(s) in RCA: 358] [Impact Index Per Article: 89.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2020] [Revised: 10/29/2020] [Accepted: 11/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Oxidative stress, a cytopathic outcome of excessive generation of ROS and the repression of antioxidant defense system for ROS elimination, is involved in the pathogenesis of multiple diseases, including diabetes and its complications. Retinopathy, a microvascular complication of diabetes, is the primary cause of acquired blindness in diabetic patients. Oxidative stress has been verified as one critical contributor to the pathogenesis of diabetic retinopathy. Oxidative stress can both contribute to and result from the metabolic abnormalities induced by hyperglycemia, mainly including the increased flux of the polyol pathway and hexosamine pathway, the hyper-activation of protein kinase C (PKC) isoforms, and the accumulation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs). Moreover, the repression of the antioxidant defense system by hyperglycemia-mediated epigenetic modification also leads to the imbalance between the scavenging and production of ROS. Excessive accumulation of ROS induces mitochondrial damage, cellular apoptosis, inflammation, lipid peroxidation, and structural and functional alterations in retina. Therefore, it is important to understand and elucidate the oxidative stress-related mechanisms underlying the progress of diabetic retinopathy. In addition, the abnormalities correlated with oxidative stress provide multiple potential therapeutic targets to develop safe and effective treatments for diabetic retinopathy. Here, we also summarized the main antioxidant therapeutic strategies to control this disease. Oxidative stress can both contribute to and result from hyperglycemia-induced metabolic abnormalities in retina. Genes important in regulation of ROS are epigenetically modified, increasing ROS accumulation in retina. Oxidative stress is closely associated with the pathological changes in the progress of diabetic retinopathy. Antioxidants ameliorate retinopathy through targeting multiple steps of oxidative stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingzheng Kang
- Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Nanshan District, Shenzhen, 518060, China; Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Devices and Systems of Ministry of Education and Guangdong Province, College of Optoelectronic Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, China
| | - Chunxue Yang
- Department of Pathology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, 999077, China.
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28
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Chen Y, Xu L, Lin RYT, Müschen M, Koeffler HP. Core transcriptional regulatory circuitries in cancer. Oncogene 2020; 39:6633-6646. [PMID: 32943730 PMCID: PMC7581508 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-020-01459-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2020] [Revised: 08/30/2020] [Accepted: 09/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Transcription factors (TFs) coordinate the on-and-off states of gene expression typically in a combinatorial fashion. Studies from embryonic stem cells and other cell types have revealed that a clique of self-regulated core TFs control cell identity and cell state. These core TFs form interconnected feed-forward transcriptional loops to establish and reinforce the cell-type-specific gene-expression program; the ensemble of core TFs and their regulatory loops constitutes core transcriptional regulatory circuitry (CRC). Here, we summarize recent progress in computational reconstitution and biologic exploration of CRCs across various human malignancies, and consolidate the strategy and methodology for CRC discovery. We also discuss the genetic basis and therapeutic vulnerability of CRC, and highlight new frontiers and future efforts for the study of CRC in cancer. Knowledge of CRC in cancer is fundamental to understanding cancer-specific transcriptional addiction, and should provide important insight to both pathobiology and therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ye Chen
- Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117599, Singapore.
| | - Liang Xu
- Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117599, Singapore.
- Department of Systems Biology, City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Monrovia, CA, 91016, USA.
- College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China.
| | - Ruby Yu-Tong Lin
- Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117599, Singapore
| | - Markus Müschen
- Department of Systems Biology, City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Monrovia, CA, 91016, USA
| | - H Phillip Koeffler
- Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117599, Singapore
- Department of Medicine, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, 90048, USA
- National University Cancer Institute, National University Hospital, Singapore, 119074, Singapore
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29
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Hyperacetylated chromatin domains mark cell type-specific genes and suggest distinct modes of enhancer function. Nat Commun 2020; 11:4544. [PMID: 32917861 PMCID: PMC7486385 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-18303-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2019] [Accepted: 07/08/2020] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Stratification of enhancers by signal strength in ChIP-seq assays has resulted in the establishment of super-enhancers as a widespread and useful tool for identifying cell type-specific, highly expressed genes and associated pathways. We examine a distinct method of stratification that focuses on peak breadth, termed hyperacetylated chromatin domains (HCDs), which classifies broad regions exhibiting histone modifications associated with gene activation. We find that this analysis serves to identify genes that are both more highly expressed and more closely aligned to cell identity than super-enhancer analysis does using multiple data sets. Moreover, genetic manipulations of selected gene loci suggest that some enhancers located within HCDs work at least in part via a distinct mechanism involving the modulation of histone modifications across domains and that this activity can be imported into a heterologous gene locus. In addition, such genetic dissection reveals that the super-enhancer concept can obscure important functions of constituent elements. Super-enhancer are usually defined by high levels of chromatin modification and associate with cell-specific gene expression. Here, the authors define hyperacetylated chromatin domains (HCDs) by using histone hyperacetylation peak breadth information and show that HCDs associated more closely with cell identity than super-enhancers.
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30
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Sen D, Keung AJ. Capturing complex epigenetic phenomena through human multicellular systems. CURRENT OPINION IN BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING 2020; 16:34-41. [PMID: 32905378 DOI: 10.1016/j.cobme.2020.05.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Epigenetic states inherently define a wide range of complex biological phenotypes and processes in development and disease. Accurate cellular modeling would ideally capture the epigenetic complexity of these processes as well as the accompanying molecular changes in chromatin biochemistry including in DNA and histone modifications. Here we highlight recent work that demonstrate how multicellular systems provide a natural approach to capture complex epigenetic phenomena. They accomplish this through more closely matching the in vivo environment and through the intrinsic nature of multicellular systems being able to generate and model multiple distinct cellular states, all within one system. We also discuss challenges and limitations of such systems, efforts to tune and modulate epigenetics directly in multicellular systems, and how molecular interventional approaches could advance and improve the utility of these models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dilara Sen
- North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27606
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31
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Chichagova V, Hilgen G, Ghareeb A, Georgiou M, Carter M, Sernagor E, Lako M, Armstrong L. Human iPSC differentiation to retinal organoids in response to IGF1 and BMP4 activation is line- and method-dependent. Stem Cells 2019; 38:195-201. [PMID: 31721366 PMCID: PMC7383896 DOI: 10.1002/stem.3116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2019] [Accepted: 10/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)‐derived retinal organoids provide a platform to study human retinogenesis, disease modeling, and compound screening. Although retinal organoids may represent tissue structures with greater physiological relevance to the in vivo human retina, their generation is not without limitations. Various protocols have been developed to enable development of organoids with all major retinal cell types; however, variability across iPSC lines is often reported. Modulating signaling pathways important for eye formation, such as those involving bone morphogenetic protein 4 (BMP4) and insulin‐like growth factor 1 (IGF1), is a common approach used for the generation of retinal tissue in vitro. We used three human iPSC lines to generate retinal organoids by activating either BMP4 or IGF1 signaling and assessed differentiation efficiency by monitoring morphological changes, gene and protein expression, and function. Our results showed that the ability of iPSC to give rise to retinal organoids in response to IGF1 and BMP4 activation was line‐ and method‐dependent. This demonstrates that careful consideration is needed when choosing a differentiation approach, which would also depend on overall project aims.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Gerrit Hilgen
- Institute of Neuroscience, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Ali Ghareeb
- Institute of Genetic Medicine, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Maria Georgiou
- Institute of Genetic Medicine, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Madeleine Carter
- Institute of Genetic Medicine, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Evelyne Sernagor
- Institute of Neuroscience, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Majlinda Lako
- Institute of Genetic Medicine, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Lyle Armstrong
- Newcells Biotech Ltd, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.,Institute of Genetic Medicine, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
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32
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Ahmad I, Teotia P, Erickson H, Xia X. Recapitulating developmental mechanisms for retinal regeneration. Prog Retin Eye Res 2019; 76:100824. [PMID: 31843569 DOI: 10.1016/j.preteyeres.2019.100824] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2019] [Revised: 12/06/2019] [Accepted: 12/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Degeneration of specific retinal neurons in diseases like glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration, and retinitis pigmentosa is the leading cause of irreversible blindness. Currently, there is no therapy to modify the disease-associated degenerative changes. With the advancement in our knowledge about the mechanisms that regulate the development of the vertebrate retina, the approach to treat blinding diseases through regenerative medicine appears a near possibility. Recapitulation of developmental mechanisms is critical for reproducibly generating cells in either 2D or 3D culture of pluripotent stem cells for retinal repair and disease modeling. It is the key for unlocking the neurogenic potential of Müller glia in the adult retina for therapeutic regeneration. Here, we examine the current status and potential of the regenerative medicine approach for the retina in the backdrop of developmental mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iqbal Ahmad
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, 68198, USA.
| | - Pooja Teotia
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, 68198, USA
| | - Helen Erickson
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, 68198, USA
| | - Xiaohuan Xia
- Center for Translational Neurodegeneration and Regenerative Therapy, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital Affiliated to Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200072, China
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33
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Subramanian K, Weigert M, Borsch O, Petzold H, Garcia-Ulloa A, Myers EW, Ader M, Solovei I, Kreysing M. Rod nuclear architecture determines contrast transmission of the retina and behavioral sensitivity in mice. eLife 2019; 8:49542. [PMID: 31825309 PMCID: PMC6974353 DOI: 10.7554/elife.49542] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2019] [Accepted: 12/11/2019] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Rod photoreceptors of nocturnal mammals display a striking inversion of nuclear architecture, which has been proposed as an evolutionary adaptation to dark environments. However, the nature of visual benefits and the underlying mechanisms remains unclear. It is widely assumed that improvements in nocturnal vision would depend on maximization of photon capture at the expense of image detail. Here, we show that retinal optical quality improves 2-fold during terminal development, and that this enhancement is caused by nuclear inversion. We further demonstrate that improved retinal contrast transmission, rather than photon-budget or resolution, enhances scotopic contrast sensitivity by 18–27%, and improves motion detection capabilities up to 10-fold in dim environments. Our findings therefore add functional significance to a prominent exception of nuclear organization and establish retinal contrast transmission as a decisive determinant of mammalian visual perception.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaushikaram Subramanian
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany.,Center for Systems Biology Dresden, Dresden, Germany.,Cluster of Excellence, Physics of Life, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Martin Weigert
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany.,Center for Systems Biology Dresden, Dresden, Germany.,Cluster of Excellence, Physics of Life, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Oliver Borsch
- Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Heike Petzold
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany
| | | | - Eugene W Myers
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany.,Center for Systems Biology Dresden, Dresden, Germany.,Cluster of Excellence, Physics of Life, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany.,Department of Computer Science, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Marius Ader
- Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Irina Solovei
- Biozentrum, Ludwig Maximilians Universität, München, Germany
| | - Moritz Kreysing
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany.,Center for Systems Biology Dresden, Dresden, Germany.,Cluster of Excellence, Physics of Life, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
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34
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Kaya KD, Chen HY, Brooks MJ, Kelley RA, Shimada H, Nagashima K, de Val N, Drinnan CT, Gieser L, Kruczek K, Erceg S, Li T, Lukovic D, Adlakha YK, Welby E, Swaroop A. Transcriptome-based molecular staging of human stem cell-derived retinal organoids uncovers accelerated photoreceptor differentiation by 9-cis retinal. Mol Vis 2019; 25:663-678. [PMID: 31814692 PMCID: PMC6857775] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2019] [Accepted: 11/08/2019] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Retinal organoids generated from human pluripotent stem cells exhibit considerable variability during differentiation. Our goals are to assess developmental maturity of the neural retina in vitro and design improved protocols based on objective criteria. METHODS We performed transcriptome analyses of developing retinal organoids from human embryonic and induced pluripotent stem cell lines and utilized multiple bioinformatic tools for comparative analysis. Immunohistochemistry, immunoblotting and electron microscopy were employed for validation. RESULTS We show that the developmental variability in organoids was reflected in gene expression profiles and could be evaluated by molecular staging with the human fetal and adult retinal transcriptome data. We also demonstrate that the addition of 9-cis retinal, instead of the widely used all-trans retinoic acid, accelerated rod photoreceptor differentiation in organoid cultures, with higher rhodopsin expression and more mature mitochondrial morphology evident by day 120. CONCLUSION Our studies provide an objective transcriptome-based modality for determining the differentiation state of retinal organoids and for comparisons across different stem cell lines and platforms, which should facilitate disease modeling and evaluation of therapies in vitro.
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Affiliation(s)
- Koray D. Kaya
- Neurobiology, Neurodegeneration & Repair Laboratory, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
| | - Holly Y. Chen
- Neurobiology, Neurodegeneration & Repair Laboratory, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
| | - Matthew J. Brooks
- Neurobiology, Neurodegeneration & Repair Laboratory, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
| | - Ryan A. Kelley
- Neurobiology, Neurodegeneration & Repair Laboratory, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
| | - Hiroko Shimada
- Neurobiology, Neurodegeneration & Repair Laboratory, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
| | - Kunio Nagashima
- Electron Microscopy Laboratory, National Cancer Institute, Center for Cancer Research, Leidos Biomedical Research, Frederick National Laboratory, Frederick, MD
| | - Natalia de Val
- Electron Microscopy Laboratory, National Cancer Institute, Center for Cancer Research, Leidos Biomedical Research, Frederick National Laboratory, Frederick, MD
| | - Charles T. Drinnan
- Neurobiology, Neurodegeneration & Repair Laboratory, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
| | - Linn Gieser
- Neurobiology, Neurodegeneration & Repair Laboratory, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
| | - Kamil Kruczek
- Neurobiology, Neurodegeneration & Repair Laboratory, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
| | - Slaven Erceg
- Stem Cell Therapies for Neurodegenerative Diseases Lab and National Stem Cell Bank – Valencia Node, Research Center Principe Felipe, Valencia, Spain
| | - Tiansen Li
- Neurobiology, Neurodegeneration & Repair Laboratory, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
| | - Dunja Lukovic
- Retinal Degeneration Lab and National Stem Cell Bank – Valencia Node, Research Center Principe Felipe, Valencia, Spain
| | - Yogita K. Adlakha
- Neurobiology, Neurodegeneration & Repair Laboratory, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD,Department of Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience, National Brain Research Centre, Manesar, Haryana, India
| | - Emily Welby
- Neurobiology, Neurodegeneration & Repair Laboratory, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
| | - Anand Swaroop
- Neurobiology, Neurodegeneration & Repair Laboratory, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
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35
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Norrie JL, Lupo MS, Xu B, Al Diri I, Valentine M, Putnam D, Griffiths L, Zhang J, Johnson D, Easton J, Shao Y, Honnell V, Frase S, Miller S, Stewart V, Zhou X, Chen X, Dyer MA. Nucleome Dynamics during Retinal Development. Neuron 2019; 104:512-528.e11. [PMID: 31493975 PMCID: PMC6842117 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2019.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2018] [Revised: 06/02/2019] [Accepted: 07/29/2019] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
More than 8,000 genes are turned on or off as progenitor cells produce the 7 classes of retinal cell types during development. Thousands of enhancers are also active in the developing retinae, many having features of cell- and developmental stage-specific activity. We studied dynamic changes in the 3D chromatin landscape important for precisely orchestrated changes in gene expression during retinal development by ultra-deep in situ Hi-C analysis on murine retinae. We identified developmental-stage-specific changes in chromatin compartments and enhancer-promoter interactions. We developed a machine learning-based algorithm to map euchromatin and heterochromatin domains genome-wide and overlaid it with chromatin compartments identified by Hi-C. Single-cell ATAC-seq and RNA-seq were integrated with our Hi-C and previous ChIP-seq data to identify cell- and developmental-stage-specific super-enhancers (SEs). We identified a bipolar neuron-specific core regulatory circuit SE upstream of Vsx2, whose deletion in mice led to the loss of bipolar neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jackie L Norrie
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Marybeth S Lupo
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Beisi Xu
- Department of Computational Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Issam Al Diri
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Marc Valentine
- Cytogenetics Shared Resource, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Daniel Putnam
- Department of Computational Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Lyra Griffiths
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Jiakun Zhang
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Dianna Johnson
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38163, USA
| | - John Easton
- Department of Computational Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Ying Shao
- Department of Computational Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Victoria Honnell
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Sharon Frase
- Cellular Imaging Shared Resource, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Shondra Miller
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Valerie Stewart
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Xin Zhou
- Department of Computational Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Xiang Chen
- Department of Computational Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA.
| | - Michael A Dyer
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA; Department of Ophthalmology, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38163, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD 20815, USA.
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36
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Reprogramming of Adult Retinal Müller Glial Cells into Human-Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells as an Efficient Source of Retinal Cells. Stem Cells Int 2019; 2019:7858796. [PMID: 31396286 PMCID: PMC6664555 DOI: 10.1155/2019/7858796] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2019] [Accepted: 06/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The reprogramming of human somatic cells to induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) has broad applications in regenerative medicine. The generation of self-organized retinal structures from these iPSCs offers the opportunity to study retinal development and model-specific retinal disease with patient-specific iPSCs and provides the basis for cell replacement strategies. In this study, we demonstrated that the major type of glial cells of the human retina, Müller cells, can be reprogrammed into iPSCs that acquire classical signature of pluripotent stem cells. These Müller glial cell-derived iPSCs were able to differentiate toward retinal fate and generate concomitantly retinal pigmented epithelial cells and self-forming retinal organoid structures containing retinal progenitor cells. Retinal organoids recapitulated retinal neurogenesis with differentiation of retinal progenitor cells into all retinal cell types in a sequential overlapping order. With a modified retinal maturation protocol characterized by the presence of serum and high glucose levels, our study revealed that the retinal organoids contained pseudolaminated neural retina with important features reminiscent of mature photoreceptors, both rod and cone subtypes. This advanced maturation of photoreceptors not only supports the possibility to use 3D retinal organoids for studying photoreceptor development but also offers a novel opportunity for disease modeling, particularly for inherited retinal diseases.
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Abstract
The use of retinal organoids requires efficient differentiation from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). In this issue of Cell Reports, Wang et al. (2018) examine how the chromatin landscape after iPSC programming predicts their ability to differentiate into retinal tissue.
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Wright CB, Becker SM, Low LA, Tagle DA, Sieving PA. Improved Ocular Tissue Models and Eye-On-A-Chip Technologies Will Facilitate Ophthalmic Drug Development. J Ocul Pharmacol Ther 2019; 36:25-29. [PMID: 31166829 PMCID: PMC6985761 DOI: 10.1089/jop.2018.0139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2018] [Accepted: 03/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In this study, we describe efforts by the National Eye Institute (NEI) and National Center for Advancing Translational Science (NCATS) to catalyze advances in 3-dimensional (3-D) ocular organoid and microphysiological systems (MPS). We reviewed the recent literature regarding ocular organoids and tissue chips. Animal models, 2-dimensional cell culture models, and postmortem human tissue samples provide the vision research community with insights critical to understanding pathophysiology and therapeutic development. The advent of induced pluripotent stem cell technologies provide researchers with enticing new approaches and tools that augment study in more traditional models to provide the scientific community with insights that have previously been impossible to obtain. Efforts by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have already accelerated the pace of scientific discovery, and recent advances in ocular organoid and MPS modeling approaches have opened new avenues of investigation. In addition to more closely recapitulating the morphologies and physiological responses of in vivo human tissue, key breakthroughs have been made in the past year to resolve long-standing scientific questions regarding tissue development, molecular signaling, and pathophysiological mechanisms that promise to provide advances critical to therapeutic development and patient care. 3-D tissue culture modeling and MPS offer platforms for future high-throughput testing of therapeutic candidates and studies of gene interactions to improve models of complex genetic diseases with no well-defined etiology, such as age-related macular degeneration and Fuchs' dystrophy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles B. Wright
- National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Steven M. Becker
- National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Lucie A. Low
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Danilo A. Tagle
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Paul A. Sieving
- National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
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39
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Smith D, Starborg T. Serial block face scanning electron microscopy in cell biology: Applications and technology. Tissue Cell 2019; 57:111-122. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tice.2018.08.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2018] [Revised: 08/22/2018] [Accepted: 08/26/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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40
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Pluripotent Stem Cells as Models of Retina Development. Mol Neurobiol 2019; 56:6056-6070. [DOI: 10.1007/s12035-019-1504-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2018] [Accepted: 01/21/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
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41
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Gasparini SJ, Llonch S, Borsch O, Ader M. Transplantation of photoreceptors into the degenerative retina: Current state and future perspectives. Prog Retin Eye Res 2018; 69:1-37. [PMID: 30445193 DOI: 10.1016/j.preteyeres.2018.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 116] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2018] [Revised: 10/29/2018] [Accepted: 11/06/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The mammalian retina displays no intrinsic regenerative capacities, therefore retinal degenerative diseases such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD) or retinitis pigmentosa (RP) result in a permanent loss of the light-sensing photoreceptor cells. The degeneration of photoreceptors leads to vision impairment and, in later stages, complete blindness. Several therapeutic strategies have been developed to slow down or prevent further retinal degeneration, however a definitive cure i.e. replacement of the lost photoreceptors, has not yet been established. Cell-based treatment approaches, by means of photoreceptor transplantation, have been studied in pre-clinical animal models over the last three decades. The introduction of pluripotent stem cell-derived retinal organoids represents, in principle, an unlimited source for the generation of transplantable human photoreceptors. However, safety, immunological and reproducibility-related issues regarding the use of such cells still need to be solved. Moreover, the recent finding of cytoplasmic material transfer between donor and host photoreceptors demands reinterpretation of several former transplantation studies. At the same time, material transfer between healthy donor and dysfunctional patient photoreceptors also offers a potential alternative strategy for therapeutic intervention. In this review we discuss the history and current state of photoreceptor transplantation, the techniques used to assess rescue of visual function, the prerequisites for effective transplantation as well as the main roadblocks, including safety and immune response to the graft, that need to be overcome for successful clinical translation of photoreceptor transplantation approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sylvia J Gasparini
- CRTD/Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden, Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering (CMCB), Technische Universität Dresden, Fetscherstraße 105, 01307, Dresden, Germany
| | - Sílvia Llonch
- CRTD/Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden, Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering (CMCB), Technische Universität Dresden, Fetscherstraße 105, 01307, Dresden, Germany
| | - Oliver Borsch
- CRTD/Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden, Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering (CMCB), Technische Universität Dresden, Fetscherstraße 105, 01307, Dresden, Germany
| | - Marius Ader
- CRTD/Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden, Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering (CMCB), Technische Universität Dresden, Fetscherstraße 105, 01307, Dresden, Germany.
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42
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Aqueous Extract of Semen Ziziphi Spinosae Exerts Anxiolytic Effects during Nicotine Withdrawal via Improvement of Amygdaloid CRF/CRF1R Signaling. EVIDENCE-BASED COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE 2018; 2018:2419183. [PMID: 30245730 PMCID: PMC6139233 DOI: 10.1155/2018/2419183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2018] [Revised: 07/26/2018] [Accepted: 08/16/2018] [Indexed: 12/05/2022]
Abstract
Anxiety during nicotine withdrawal (NicW) is a key risk factor for smoking relapse. Semen Ziziphi Spinosae (SZS), which is a prototypical hypnotic-sedative herb in Oriental medicine, has been clinically used to treat insomnia and general anxiety disorders for thousands of years. Thus, the present study evaluated the effects of the aqueous extract of SZS (AESZS) on NicW-induced anxiety in male rats that received subcutaneous administrations of nicotine (Nic) (0.4 mg/kg, twice a day) for 7 d followed by 4 d of withdrawal. During NicW, the rats received four intragastric treatments of AESZS (60 mg/kg/d or 180 mg/kg/d). AESZS dose-dependently attenuated NicW-induced anxiety-like behaviors in the elevated plus maze (EPM) tests and 180 mg/kg/d AESZS inhibited NicW-induced increases in plasma corticosterone. Additionally, the protein and mRNA expressions of corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) and CRF type 1 receptor (CRF1R) increased in the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) during NicW, but these changes were suppressed by 180 mg/kg/d AESZS. A post-AESZS infusion of CRF into the CeA abolished the attenuation of anxiety by AESZS and 180 mg/kg/d AESZS suppressed NicW-induced increases in norepinephrine and 3-methoxy-4-hydroxy-phenylglycol levels in the CeA. The present results suggest that AESZS ameliorated NicW-induced anxiety via improvements in CRF/CRF1R and noradrenergic signaling in the CeA.
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43
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Singh RK, Diaz PE, Binette F, Nasonkin IO. Immunohistochemical Detection of 5-Methylcytosine and 5-Hydroxymethylcytosine in Developing and Postmitotic Mouse Retina. J Vis Exp 2018. [PMID: 30222161 PMCID: PMC6235063 DOI: 10.3791/58274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
The epigenetics of retinal development is a well-studied research field, which promises to bring a new level of understanding about the mechanisms of a variety of human retinal degenerative diseases and pinpoint new treatment approaches. The nuclear architecture of mouse retina is organized in two different patterns: conventional and inverted. Conventional pattern is universal where heterochromatin is localized to the periphery of the nucleus, while active euchromatin resides in the nuclear interior. In contrast, inverted nuclear pattern is unique to the adult rod photoreceptor cell nuclei where heterochromatin localizes to the nuclear center, and euchromatin resides in the nuclear periphery. DNA methylation is predominantly observed in chromocenters. DNA methylation is a dynamic covalent modification on the cytosine residues (5-methylcytosine, 5mC) of CpG dinucleotides that are enriched in the promoter regions of many genes. Three DNA methyltransferases (DNMT1, DNMT3A and DNMT3B) participate in methylation of DNA during development. Detecting 5mC with immunohistochemical techniques is very challenging, contributing to variability in results, as all DNA bases including 5mC modified bases are hidden within the double-stranded DNA helix. However, detailed delineation of 5mC distribution during development is very informative. Here, we describe a reproducible technique for robust immunohistochemical detection of 5mC and another epigenetic DNA marker 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC), which colocalizes with the "open", transcriptionally active chromatin in developing and postmitotic mouse retina.
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Hallam D, Hilgen G, Dorgau B, Zhu L, Yu M, Bojic S, Hewitt P, Schmitt M, Uteng M, Kustermann S, Steel D, Nicholds M, Thomas R, Treumann A, Porter A, Sernagor E, Armstrong L, Lako M. Human-Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Generate Light Responsive Retinal Organoids with Variable and Nutrient-Dependent Efficiency. Stem Cells 2018; 36:1535-1551. [PMID: 30004612 PMCID: PMC6392112 DOI: 10.1002/stem.2883] [Citation(s) in RCA: 129] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2018] [Revised: 06/17/2018] [Accepted: 06/13/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The availability of in vitro models of the human retina in which to perform pharmacological and toxicological studies is an urgent and unmet need. An essential step for developing in vitro models of human retina is the ability to generate laminated, physiologically functional, and light-responsive retinal organoids from renewable and patient specific sources. We investigated five different human-induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) lines and showed a significant variability in their efficiency to generate retinal organoids. Despite this variability, by month 5 of differentiation, all iPSC-derived retinal organoids were able to generate light responses, albeit immature, comparable to the earliest light responses recorded from the neonatal mouse retina, close to the period of eye opening. All iPSC-derived retinal organoids exhibited at this time a well-formed outer nuclear like layer containing photoreceptors with inner segments, connecting cilium, and outer like segments. The differentiation process was highly dependent on seeding cell density and nutrient availability determined by factorial experimental design. We adopted the differentiation protocol to a multiwell plate format, which enhanced generation of retinal organoids with retinal-pigmented epithelium (RPE) and improved ganglion cell development and the response to physiological stimuli. We tested the response of iPSC-derived retinal organoids to Moxifloxacin and showed that similarly to in vivo adult mouse retina, the primary affected cell types were photoreceptors. Together our data indicate that light responsive retinal organoids derived from carefully selected and differentiation efficient iPSC lines can be generated at the scale needed for pharmacology and drug screening purposes. Stem Cells 2018;36:1535-1551.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dean Hallam
- Newcastle University, Institute for Genetic Medicine, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Gerrit Hilgen
- Newcastle University, Institute of Neuroscience, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Birthe Dorgau
- Newcastle University, Institute for Genetic Medicine, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Lili Zhu
- Newcastle University, Institute for Genetic Medicine, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Min Yu
- Newcastle University, Institute for Genetic Medicine, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Sanja Bojic
- Newcastle University, Institute for Genetic Medicine, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | | | | | | | - Stefan Kustermann
- F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, University of Tübingen, Basel, Switzerland
| | - David Steel
- Newcastle University, Institute for Genetic Medicine, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | | | - Robert Thomas
- Centre for Biological Engineering, Loughborough University, Loughborough, UK
| | - Achim Treumann
- Newcastle University, Newcastle University Protein and Proteome Analysis, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Andrew Porter
- Newcastle University, Newcastle University Protein and Proteome Analysis, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Evelyne Sernagor
- Newcastle University, Institute of Neuroscience, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Lyle Armstrong
- Newcastle University, Institute for Genetic Medicine, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.,Newcells Biotech, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Majlinda Lako
- Newcastle University, Institute for Genetic Medicine, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
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