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Parekh M, Miall A, Chou A, Buhl L, Deshpande N, Price MO, Price FW, Jurkunas UV. Enhanced Migration of Fuchs Corneal Endothelial Cells by Rho Kinase Inhibition: A Novel Ex Vivo Descemet's Stripping Only Model. Cells 2024; 13:1218. [PMID: 39056800 PMCID: PMC11274477 DOI: 10.3390/cells13141218] [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: 06/04/2024] [Revised: 07/15/2024] [Accepted: 07/16/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Descemet's Stripping Only (DSO) is a surgical technique that utilizes the peripheral corneal endothelial cell (CEnC) migration for wound closure. Ripasudil, a Rho-associated protein kinase (ROCK) inhibitor, has shown potential in DSO treatment; however, its mechanism in promoting CEnC migration remains unclear. We observed that ripasudil-treated immortalized normal and Fuchs endothelial corneal dystrophy (FECD) cells exhibited significantly enhanced migration and wound healing, particularly effective in FECD cells. Ripasudil upregulated mRNA expression of Snail Family Transcriptional Repressor (SNAI1/2) and Vimentin (VIM) while decreasing Cadherin (CDH1), indicating endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) activation. Ripasudil activated Rac1, driving the actin-related protein complex (ARPC2) to the leading edge, facilitating enhanced migration. Ex vivo studies on cadaveric and FECD Descemet's membrane (DM) showed increased migration and proliferation of CEnCs after ripasudil treatment. An ex vivo DSO model demonstrated enhanced migration from the DM to the stroma with ripasudil. Coating small incision lenticule extraction (SMILE) tissues with an FNC coating mix and treating the cells in conjunction with ripasudil further improved migration and resulted in a monolayer formation, as detected by the ZO-1 junctional marker, thereby leading to the reduction in EMT. In conclusion, ripasudil effectively enhanced cellular migration, particularly in a novel ex vivo DSO model, when the stromal microenvironment was modulated. This suggests ripasudil as a promising adjuvant for DSO treatment, highlighting its potential clinical significance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohit Parekh
- Schepens Eye Research Institute of Mass Eye and Ear, Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, 20 Staniford Street, Boston, MA 02114, USA; (M.P.)
| | - Annie Miall
- Schepens Eye Research Institute of Mass Eye and Ear, Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, 20 Staniford Street, Boston, MA 02114, USA; (M.P.)
| | - Ashley Chou
- Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Harvard College, Boston, MA 02138, USA
| | - Lara Buhl
- Wellman Center for Photomedicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Neha Deshpande
- Schepens Eye Research Institute of Mass Eye and Ear, Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, 20 Staniford Street, Boston, MA 02114, USA; (M.P.)
| | | | - Francis W. Price
- Cornea Research Foundation of America, Indianapolis, IN 46260, USA
| | - Ula V. Jurkunas
- Schepens Eye Research Institute of Mass Eye and Ear, Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, 20 Staniford Street, Boston, MA 02114, USA; (M.P.)
- Cornea and Refractive Surgery Service, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, 243 Charles Street, Boston, MA 02114, USA
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Jin L, Zhang L, Yan C, Liu M, Dean DC, Liu Y. Corneal injury repair and the potential involvement of ZEB1. EYE AND VISION (LONDON, ENGLAND) 2024; 11:20. [PMID: 38822380 PMCID: PMC11143703 DOI: 10.1186/s40662-024-00387-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2024] [Accepted: 05/07/2024] [Indexed: 06/03/2024]
Abstract
The cornea, consisting of three cellular and two non-cellular layers, is the outermost part of the eyeball and frequently injured by external physical, chemical, and microbial insults. The epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) plays a crucial role in the repair of corneal injuries. Zinc finger E-box binding homeobox 1 (ZEB1), an important transcription factor involved in EMT, is expressed in the corneal tissues. It regulates cell activities like migration, transformation, and proliferation, and thereby affects tissue inflammation, fibrosis, tumor metastasis, and necrosis by mediating various major signaling pathways, including transforming growth factor (TGF)-β. Dysfunction of ZEB1 would impair corneal tissue repair leading to epithelial healing delay, interstitial fibrosis, neovascularization, and squamous cell metaplasia. Understanding the mechanism underlying ZEB1 regulation of corneal injury repair will help us to formulate a therapeutic approach to enhance corneal injury repair.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lin Jin
- Department of Ophthalmology, The Third People's Hospital of Dalian, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, 116033, China
| | - Lijun Zhang
- Department of Ophthalmology, The Third People's Hospital of Dalian, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, 116033, China
| | - Chunxiao Yan
- Department of Ophthalmology, The Third People's Hospital of Dalian, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, 116033, China
| | - Mengxin Liu
- Department of Ophthalmology, The Third People's Hospital of Dalian, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, 116033, China
| | - Douglas C Dean
- James Brown Cancer Center, University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville, KY, 40202, USA.
- Department of Medicine, University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville, KY, 40202, USA.
| | - Yongqing Liu
- James Brown Cancer Center, University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville, KY, 40202, USA.
- Department of Medicine, University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville, KY, 40202, USA.
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Yan J, Mehta S, Patel K, Dhupar N, Little N, Ong Tone S. Transcription factor 4 promotes increased corneal endothelial cellular migration by altering microtubules in Fuchs endothelial corneal dystrophy. Sci Rep 2024; 14:10276. [PMID: 38704483 PMCID: PMC11069521 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-61170-8] [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: 01/11/2024] [Accepted: 05/02/2024] [Indexed: 05/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Fuchs endothelial corneal dystrophy (FECD) is a complex corneal disease characterized by the progressive decline and morphological changes of corneal endothelial cells (CECs) that leads to corneal edema and vision loss. The most common mutation in FECD is an intronic CTG repeat expansion in transcription factor 4 (TCF4) that leads to its altered expression. Corneal endothelial wound healing occurs primarily through cell enlargement and migration, and FECD CECs have been shown to display increased migration speeds. In this study, we aim to determine whether TCF4 can promote cellular migration in FECD CECs. We generated stable CEC lines derived from FECD patients that overexpressed different TCF4 isoforms and investigated epithelial-to-mesenchymal (EMT) expression, morphological analysis and cellular migration speeds. We found that full length TCF4-B isoform overexpression promotes cellular migration in FECD CECs in an EMT-independent manner. RNA-sequencing identified several pathways including the negative regulation of microtubules, with TUBB4A (tubulin beta 4A class IVa) as the top upregulated gene. TUBB4A expression was increased in FECD ex vivo specimens, and there was altered expression of cytoskeleton proteins, tubulin and actin, compared to normal healthy donor ex vivo specimens. Additionally, there was increased acetylation and detyrosination of microtubules in FECD supporting that microtubule stability is altered in FECD and could promote cellular migration. Future studies could be aimed at investigating if targeting the cytoskeleton and microtubules would have therapeutic potential for FECD by promoting cellular migration and regeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Judy Yan
- Sunnybrook Health Sciences Center and Sunnybrook Research Institute, 2075 Bayview Avenue, M-wing, 1st Floor, Toronto, ON, M4N 3M5, Canada
| | - Shanti Mehta
- Sunnybrook Health Sciences Center and Sunnybrook Research Institute, 2075 Bayview Avenue, M-wing, 1st Floor, Toronto, ON, M4N 3M5, Canada
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Keya Patel
- Sunnybrook Health Sciences Center and Sunnybrook Research Institute, 2075 Bayview Avenue, M-wing, 1st Floor, Toronto, ON, M4N 3M5, Canada
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Narisa Dhupar
- Sunnybrook Health Sciences Center and Sunnybrook Research Institute, 2075 Bayview Avenue, M-wing, 1st Floor, Toronto, ON, M4N 3M5, Canada
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Ness Little
- Sunnybrook Health Sciences Center and Sunnybrook Research Institute, 2075 Bayview Avenue, M-wing, 1st Floor, Toronto, ON, M4N 3M5, Canada
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Stephan Ong Tone
- Sunnybrook Health Sciences Center and Sunnybrook Research Institute, 2075 Bayview Avenue, M-wing, 1st Floor, Toronto, ON, M4N 3M5, Canada.
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.
- Department of Ophthalmology and Vision Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.
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Du R, Li D, Huang Y, Xiao H, Xue J, Ji J, Feng Y, Fan Y. Effect of mechanical stretching and substrate stiffness on the morphology, cytoskeleton and nuclear shape of corneal endothelial cells. MEDICINE IN NOVEL TECHNOLOGY AND DEVICES 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.medntd.2022.100180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
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Vercammen H, Miron A, Oellerich S, Melles GRJ, Ní Dhubhghaill S, Koppen C, Van Den Bogerd B. Corneal endothelial wound healing: understanding the regenerative capacity of the innermost layer of the cornea. Transl Res 2022; 248:111-127. [PMID: 35609782 DOI: 10.1016/j.trsl.2022.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2022] [Revised: 04/14/2022] [Accepted: 05/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Currently, there are very few well-established treatments to stimulate corneal endothelial cell regeneration in vivo as a cure for corneal endothelial dysfunctions. The most frequently performed intervention for a damaged or dysfunctional corneal endothelium nowadays is corneal endothelial keratoplasty, also known as lamellar corneal transplantation surgery. Newer medical therapies are emerging and are targeting the regeneration of the corneal endothelium, helping the patients regain their vision without the need for donor tissue. Alternatives to donor tissues are needed as the aging population requiring transplants, has further exacerbated the pressure on the corneal eye banking system. Significant ongoing research efforts in the field of corneal regenerative medicine have been made to elucidate the underlying pathways and effector proteins involved in corneal endothelial regeneration. However, the literature offers little guidance and selective attention to the question of how to fully exploit these pathways. The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of wound healing characteristics from a biochemical level in the lab to the regenerative features seen in the clinic. Studying the pathways involved in corneal wound healing together with their key effector proteins, can help explain the effect on the proliferation and migration capacity of the corneal endothelial cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hendrik Vercammen
- Antwerp Research Group for Ocular Science (ARGOS), Translational Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Alina Miron
- Netherlands Institute for Innovative Ocular Surgery (NIIOS), Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Silke Oellerich
- Netherlands Institute for Innovative Ocular Surgery (NIIOS), Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Gerrit R J Melles
- Netherlands Institute for Innovative Ocular Surgery (NIIOS), Rotterdam, The Netherlands; Melles Cornea Clinic Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Sorcha Ní Dhubhghaill
- Antwerp Research Group for Ocular Science (ARGOS), Translational Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium; Department of Ophthalmology, Antwerp University Hospital, Edegem, Belgium; Netherlands Institute for Innovative Ocular Surgery (NIIOS), Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Carina Koppen
- Antwerp Research Group for Ocular Science (ARGOS), Translational Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium; Department of Ophthalmology, Antwerp University Hospital, Edegem, Belgium
| | - Bert Van Den Bogerd
- Antwerp Research Group for Ocular Science (ARGOS), Translational Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium.
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Chew EY. Why Ophthalmology Science? OPHTHALMOLOGY SCIENCE 2021; 1:100012. [PMID: 36246009 PMCID: PMC9560528 DOI: 10.1016/j.xops.2021.100012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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