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Seah I, Goh D, Banerjee A, Su X. Modeling inherited retinal diseases using human induced pluripotent stem cell derived photoreceptor cells and retinal pigment epithelial cells. Front Med (Lausanne) 2024; 11:1328474. [PMID: 39011458 PMCID: PMC11246861 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2024.1328474] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2023] [Accepted: 06/18/2024] [Indexed: 07/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Since the discovery of induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) technology, there have been many attempts to create cellular models of inherited retinal diseases (IRDs) for investigation of pathogenic processes to facilitate target discovery and validation activities. Consistency remains key in determining the utility of these findings. Despite the importance of consistency, quality control metrics are still not widely used. In this review, a toolkit for harnessing iPSC technology to generate photoreceptor, retinal pigment epithelial cell, and organoid disease models is provided. Considerations while developing iPSC-derived IRD models such as iPSC origin, reprogramming methods, quality control metrics, control strategies, and differentiation protocols are discussed. Various iPSC IRD models are dissected and the scientific hurdles of iPSC-based disease modeling are discussed to provide an overview of current methods and future directions in this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivan Seah
- Translational Retinal Research Laboratory, Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Ophthalmology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
- Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Debbie Goh
- Department of Ophthalmology, National University Hospital (NUH), Singapore, Singapore
| | - Animesh Banerjee
- Translational Retinal Research Laboratory, Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, Singapore
| | - Xinyi Su
- Translational Retinal Research Laboratory, Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Ophthalmology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Ophthalmology, National University Hospital (NUH), Singapore, Singapore
- Singapore Eye Research Institute (SERI), Singapore, Singapore
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2
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Liu Q, Liu J, Higuchi A. hPSC-derived RPE transplantation for the treatment of macular degeneration. PROGRESS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE 2023; 199:227-269. [PMID: 37678973 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pmbts.2023.02.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/15/2023]
Abstract
Macular degeneration (MD) is a group of diseases characterized by irreversible and progressive vision loss. Patients with MD suffer from severely impaired central vision, especially elderly people. Currently, only one type of MD, wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD), can be treated with anti-vascular endothelium growth factor (VEGF) drugs. Other types of MD remain difficult to treat. With the advent of human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) and their differentiation into retinal pigmented epithelium (RPE), it is promising to treat patients with MD by transplantation of hPSC-derived RPE into the subretinal space. In this review, the current progress in hPSC-derived RPE transplantation for the treatment of patients with MD is described from bench to bedside, including hPSC differentiation into RPE and the characterization and usage of hPSC-derived RPE for transplantation into patients with MD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qian Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Optometry and Visual Science, Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, P.R. China
| | - Jun Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Optometry and Visual Science, Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, P.R. China
| | - Akon Higuchi
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Optometry and Visual Science, Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, P.R. China; Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, National Central University, Jhongli, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
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3
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Mustafi D, Bharathan SP, Calderon R, Nagiel A. HUMAN CELLULAR MODELS FOR RETINAL DISEASE: From Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells to Organoids. Retina 2022; 42:1829-1835. [PMID: 35858274 PMCID: PMC10119785 DOI: 10.1097/iae.0000000000003571] [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: 03/14/2022] [Accepted: 07/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE To provide a concise review of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) and retinal organoids as models for human retinal diseases and their role in gene discovery and treatment of inherited retinal diseases (IRDs). METHODS A PubMed literature review was performed for models of human retinal disease, including animal models and human pluripotent stem cell-derived models. RESULTS There is a growing body of research on retinal disease using human pluripotent stem cells. This is a significant change from just a decade ago when most research was performed on animal models. The advent of induced pluripotent stem cells has permitted not only the generation of two-dimensional human cell cultures such as RPE but also more recently the generation of three-dimensional retinal organoids that better reflect the multicellular laminar architecture of the human retina. CONCLUSION Modern stem cell techniques are improving our ability to model human retinal disease in vitro, especially with the use of patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells. In the future, a personalized approach may be used in which the individual's unique genotype can be modeled in two-dimensional culture or three-dimensional organoids and then rescued with an optimized therapy before treating the patient.
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Affiliation(s)
- Debarshi Mustafi
- Department of Ophthalmology, Karalis Johnson Retina Center, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
- Department of Ophthalmology, Seattle Children's Hospital, Seattle, Washington
- Brotman Baty Institute for Precision Medicine, Seattle, Washington
| | - Sumitha P Bharathan
- The Vision Center, Department of Surgery, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
- The Saban Research Institute, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
| | - Rosanna Calderon
- The Vision Center, Department of Surgery, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
- The Saban Research Institute, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
- Department of Development, Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California; and
| | - Aaron Nagiel
- The Vision Center, Department of Surgery, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
- The Saban Research Institute, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
- Department of Ophthalmology, Roski Eye Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California
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Abstract
Sorsby fundus dystrophy (SFD) is a rare autosomal dominant disorder with complete penetrance affecting the macula. This is caused by a mutation in the TIMP-3. This objective narrative review aims to provide an overview of the pathophysiology, current treatment modalities, and future perspectives. A literature search was performed using "PubMed," "Web of Science," "Scopus," "ScienceDirect," "Google Scholar," "medRxiv," and "bioRxiv." The molecular mechanisms underlying SFD are not completely understood. Novel advancements in cell culture techniques, including induced pluripotent stem cells, may enable more reliable modeling of SFD. These cell culture techniques aim to shed more light on the pathophysiology of SFD, and hopefully, this may lead to the future development of treatment strategies for SFD. Currently, no gene therapy is available. The main treatment is the use of anti-vascular endothelial growth factors (anti-VEGF) to treat secondary choroidal neovascular membrane (CNV), which is a major complication observed in this condition. If CNV is detected and treated promptly, patients with SFD have a good chance of maintaining a functional central vision. Other treatment modalities have been tried but have shown limited benefit, and therefore, have not managed to be more widely accepted. In summary, although there is no definitive cure yet, the use of anti-VEGF treatment for secondary CNV has provided the opportunity to maintain functional vision in individuals with SFD, provided CNV is detected and treated early.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georgios Tsokolas
- Medical Retina and Uveitis Fellow, Moorfields Eye Hospital, London, United Kingdom
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5
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Becklin KL, Draper GM, Madden RA, Kluesner MG, Koga T, Huang M, Weiss WA, Spector LG, Largaespada DA, Moriarity BS, Webber BR. Developing Bottom-Up Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell Derived Solid Tumor Models Using Precision Genome Editing Technologies. CRISPR J 2022; 5:517-535. [PMID: 35972367 PMCID: PMC9529369 DOI: 10.1089/crispr.2022.0032] [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: 03/10/2022] [Accepted: 07/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Advances in genome and tissue engineering have spurred significant progress and opportunity for innovation in cancer modeling. Human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) are an established and powerful tool to study cellular processes in the context of disease-specific genetic backgrounds; however, their application to cancer has been limited by the resistance of many transformed cells to undergo successful reprogramming. Here, we review the status of human iPSC modeling of solid tumors in the context of genetic engineering, including how base and prime editing can be incorporated into "bottom-up" cancer modeling, a term we coined for iPSC-based cancer models using genetic engineering to induce transformation. This approach circumvents the need to reprogram cancer cells while allowing for dissection of the genetic mechanisms underlying transformation, progression, and metastasis with a high degree of precision and control. We also discuss the strengths and limitations of respective engineering approaches and outline experimental considerations for establishing future models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelsie L. Becklin
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Neurosurgery and Brain Tumor Research Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
- Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Neurosurgery and Brain Tumor Research Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
- Center for Genome Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Neurosurgery and Brain Tumor Research Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Garrett M. Draper
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Neurosurgery and Brain Tumor Research Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
- Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Neurosurgery and Brain Tumor Research Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
- Center for Genome Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Neurosurgery and Brain Tumor Research Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Rebecca A. Madden
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Neurosurgery and Brain Tumor Research Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
- Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Neurosurgery and Brain Tumor Research Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
- Center for Genome Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Neurosurgery and Brain Tumor Research Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Mitchell G. Kluesner
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Neurosurgery and Brain Tumor Research Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
- Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Neurosurgery and Brain Tumor Research Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
- Center for Genome Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Neurosurgery and Brain Tumor Research Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Tomoyuki Koga
- Ludwig Cancer Research San Diego Branch, La Jolla, California, USA; Neurosurgery and Brain Tumor Research Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Neurosurgery and Brain Tumor Research Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Miller Huang
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA; Neurosurgery and Brain Tumor Research Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
- Cancer and Blood Disease Institute, Children's Hospital Los Angeles and The Saban Research Institute, Los Angeles, California, USA; Neurosurgery and Brain Tumor Research Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - William A. Weiss
- Departments of Neurology, Pediatrics, Neurosurgery, Brain Tumor Research Center, and Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA; and Neurosurgery and Brain Tumor Research Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
- Departments of Pediatrics, Neurosurgery and Brain Tumor Research Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Logan G. Spector
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Neurosurgery and Brain Tumor Research Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
- Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Neurosurgery and Brain Tumor Research Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - David A. Largaespada
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Neurosurgery and Brain Tumor Research Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
- Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Neurosurgery and Brain Tumor Research Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
- Center for Genome Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Neurosurgery and Brain Tumor Research Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Branden S. Moriarity
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Neurosurgery and Brain Tumor Research Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
- Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Neurosurgery and Brain Tumor Research Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
- Center for Genome Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Neurosurgery and Brain Tumor Research Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Beau R. Webber
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Neurosurgery and Brain Tumor Research Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
- Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Neurosurgery and Brain Tumor Research Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
- Center for Genome Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Neurosurgery and Brain Tumor Research Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
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Schneider N, Sundaresan Y, Gopalakrishnan P, Beryozkin A, Hanany M, Levanon EY, Banin E, Ben-Aroya S, Sharon D. Inherited retinal diseases: Linking genes, disease-causing variants, and relevant therapeutic modalities. Prog Retin Eye Res 2021; 89:101029. [PMID: 34839010 DOI: 10.1016/j.preteyeres.2021.101029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2021] [Revised: 11/11/2021] [Accepted: 11/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Inherited retinal diseases (IRDs) are a clinically complex and heterogenous group of visual impairment phenotypes caused by pathogenic variants in at least 277 nuclear and mitochondrial genes, affecting different retinal regions, and depleting the vision of affected individuals. Genes that cause IRDs when mutated are unique by possessing differing genotype-phenotype correlations, varying inheritance patterns, hypomorphic alleles, and modifier genes thus complicating genetic interpretation. Next-generation sequencing has greatly advanced the identification of novel IRD-related genes and pathogenic variants in the last decade. For this review, we performed an in-depth literature search which allowed for compilation of the Global Retinal Inherited Disease (GRID) dataset containing 4,798 discrete variants and 17,299 alleles published in 31 papers, showing a wide range of frequencies and complexities among the 194 genes reported in GRID, with 65% of pathogenic variants being unique to a single individual. A better understanding of IRD-related gene distribution, gene complexity, and variant types allow for improved genetic testing and therapies. Current genetic therapeutic methods are also quite diverse and rely on variant identification, and range from whole gene replacement to single nucleotide editing at the DNA or RNA levels. IRDs and their suitable therapies thus require a range of effective disease modelling in human cells, granting insight into disease mechanisms and testing of possible treatments. This review summarizes genetic and therapeutic modalities of IRDs, provides new analyses of IRD-related genes (GRID and complexity scores), and provides information to match genetic-based therapies such as gene-specific and variant-specific therapies to the appropriate individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nina Schneider
- Department of Ophthalmology, Hadassah Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 91120, Israel
| | - Yogapriya Sundaresan
- Department of Ophthalmology, Hadassah Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 91120, Israel
| | - Prakadeeswari Gopalakrishnan
- Department of Ophthalmology, Hadassah Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 91120, Israel
| | - Avigail Beryozkin
- Department of Ophthalmology, Hadassah Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 91120, Israel
| | - Mor Hanany
- Department of Ophthalmology, Hadassah Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 91120, Israel
| | - Erez Y Levanon
- The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, 5290002, Israel
| | - Eyal Banin
- Department of Ophthalmology, Hadassah Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 91120, Israel
| | - Shay Ben-Aroya
- The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, 5290002, Israel
| | - Dror Sharon
- Department of Ophthalmology, Hadassah Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 91120, Israel.
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7
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Hytti M, Korhonen E, Hongisto H, Kaarniranta K, Skottman H, Kauppinen A. Differential Expression of Inflammasome-Related Genes in Induced Pluripotent Stem-Cell-Derived Retinal Pigment Epithelial Cells with or without History of Age-Related Macular Degeneration. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22136800. [PMID: 34202702 PMCID: PMC8268331 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22136800] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2021] [Revised: 06/16/2021] [Accepted: 06/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Inflammation is a key underlying factor of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and inflammasome activation has been linked to disease development. Induced pluripotent stem-cell-derived retinal pigment epithelial cells (iPSC-RPE) are an attractive novel model system that can help to further elucidate disease pathways of this complex disease. Here, we analyzed the effect of dysfunctional protein clearance on inflammation and inflammasome activation in iPSC-RPE cells generated from a patient suffering from age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and an age-matched control. We primed iPSC-RPE cells with IL-1α and then inhibited both proteasomal degradation and autophagic clearance using MG-132 and bafilomycin A1, respectively, causing inflammasome activation. Subsequently, we determined cell viability, analyzed the expression levels of inflammasome-related genes using a PCR array, and measured the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, and MCP-1 secreted into the medium. Cell treatments modified the expression of 48 inflammasome-related genes and increased the secretion of mature IL-1β, while reducing the levels of IL-6 and MCP-1. Interestingly, iPSC-RPE from an AMD donor secreted more IL-1β and expressed more Hsp90 prior to the inhibition of protein clearance, while MCP-1 and IL-6 were reduced at both protein and mRNA levels. Overall, our results suggest that cellular clearance mechanisms might already be dysfunctional, and the inflammasome activated, in cells with a disease origin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Hytti
- Immuno-Ophthalmology, School of Pharmacy, University of Eastern Finland, 70210 Kuopio, Finland;
- Correspondence: (M.H.); (A.K.); Tel.: +358-50-362-3058 (M.H.); +358-40-355-3216 (A.K.)
| | - Eveliina Korhonen
- Immuno-Ophthalmology, School of Pharmacy, University of Eastern Finland, 70210 Kuopio, Finland;
- Department of Clinical Chemistry, HUSLAB, Helsinki University Hospital, 00029 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Heidi Hongisto
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, 33014 Tampere, Finland; (H.H.); (H.S.)
- Ophthalmology, School of Medicine, University of Eastern Finland, 70210 Kuopio, Finland;
| | - Kai Kaarniranta
- Ophthalmology, School of Medicine, University of Eastern Finland, 70210 Kuopio, Finland;
- Department of Ophthalmology, Kuopio University Hospital, 70029 Kuopio, Finland
| | - Heli Skottman
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, 33014 Tampere, Finland; (H.H.); (H.S.)
| | - Anu Kauppinen
- Immuno-Ophthalmology, School of Pharmacy, University of Eastern Finland, 70210 Kuopio, Finland;
- Correspondence: (M.H.); (A.K.); Tel.: +358-50-362-3058 (M.H.); +358-40-355-3216 (A.K.)
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Arzalluz-Luque Á, Cabrera JL, Skottman H, Benguria A, Bolinches-Amorós A, Cuenca N, Lupo V, Dopazo A, Tarazona S, Delás B, Carballo M, Pascual B, Hernan I, Erceg S, Lukovic D. Mutant PRPF8 Causes Widespread Splicing Changes in Spliceosome Components in Retinitis Pigmentosa Patient iPSC-Derived RPE Cells. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:636969. [PMID: 33994920 PMCID: PMC8116631 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.636969] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2020] [Accepted: 02/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is a rare, progressive disease that affects photoreceptors and retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells with blindness as a final outcome. Despite high medical and social impact, there is currently no therapeutic options to slow down the progression of or cure the disease. The development of effective therapies was largely hindered by high genetic heterogeneity, inaccessible disease tissue, and unfaithful model organisms. The fact that components of ubiquitously expressed splicing factors lead to the retina-specific disease is an additional intriguing question. Herein, we sought to correlate the retinal cell-type-specific disease phenotype with the splicing profile shown by a patient with autosomal recessive RP, caused by a mutation in pre-mRNA splicing factor 8 (PRPF8). In order to get insight into the role of PRPF8 in homeostasis and disease, we capitalize on the ability to generate patient-specific RPE cells and reveal differentially expressed genes unique to RPE cells. We found that spliceosomal complex and ribosomal functions are crucial in determining cell-type specificity through differential expression and alternative splicing (AS) and that PRPF8 mutation causes global changes in splice site selection and exon inclusion that particularly affect genes involved in these cellular functions. This finding corroborates the hypothesis that retinal tissue identity is conferred by a specific splicing program and identifies retinal AS events as a framework toward the design of novel therapeutic opportunities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ángeles Arzalluz-Luque
- Department of Applied Statistics, Operations Research and Quality, Universitat Politècnica de València, València, Spain
| | - Jose Luis Cabrera
- Genomics Unit, Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC). Madrid, Spain
| | - Heli Skottman
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
| | - Alberto Benguria
- Genomics Unit, Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC). Madrid, Spain
| | - Arantxa Bolinches-Amorós
- Stem Cells Therapies in Neurodegenerative Diseases Lab, Research Center Principe Felipe, Valencia, Spain
- National Stem Cell Bank-Valencia Node, Research Center Principe Felipe, Valencia, Spain
| | - Nicolás Cuenca
- Department of Physiology, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Alicante, Alicante, Spain
| | - Vincenzo Lupo
- Unit of Genetics and Genomics of Neuromuscular and Neurodegenerative Disorders, Centro de Investigación Príncipe Felipe (CIPF), Valencia, Spain
- Rare Diseases Joint Units, IIS La Fe-CIPF, Valencia, Spain
| | - Ana Dopazo
- Genomics Unit, Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC). Madrid, Spain
| | - Sonia Tarazona
- Department of Applied Statistics, Operations Research and Quality, Universitat Politècnica de València, València, Spain
| | - Bárbara Delás
- Unitat de Genética Molecular, Hospital de Terrassa, Terrassa, Spain
| | - Miguel Carballo
- Unitat de Genética Molecular, Hospital de Terrassa, Terrassa, Spain
| | - Beatriz Pascual
- Unitat de Genética Molecular, Hospital de Terrassa, Terrassa, Spain
| | - Imma Hernan
- Unitat de Genética Molecular, Hospital de Terrassa, Terrassa, Spain
| | - Slaven Erceg
- Stem Cells Therapies in Neurodegenerative Diseases Lab, Research Center Principe Felipe, Valencia, Spain
- National Stem Cell Bank-Valencia Node, Research Center Principe Felipe, Valencia, Spain
- Rare Diseases Joint Units, IIS La Fe-CIPF, Valencia, Spain
- Department of Neuroregeneration, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czechia
| | - Dunja Lukovic
- Rare Diseases Joint Units, IIS La Fe-CIPF, Valencia, Spain
- Retinal Degeneration Lab, Research Centre Principe Felipe, Valencia, Spain
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9
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Trends of Stem Cell Therapies in Age-Related Macular Degeneration. J Clin Med 2021; 10:jcm10081785. [PMID: 33923985 PMCID: PMC8074076 DOI: 10.3390/jcm10081785] [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: 03/21/2021] [Revised: 04/06/2021] [Accepted: 04/17/2021] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a highly prevalent irreversible impairment in the elderly population worldwide. Stem cell therapies have been considered potentially viable for treating AMD through the direct replacement of degenerated cells or secretion of trophic factors that facilitate the survival of existing cells. Among them, the safety of pluripotent stem cell-derived retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cell transplantation against AMD, and some hereditary retinal degenerative diseases, has been discussed to a certain extent in clinical studies of RPE cell transplantation. Preparations are in progress for its clinical application. On the other hand, clinical trials using somatic stem cells are also being conducted, though these had controversial outcomes. Retinal regenerative medicine using stem cells is expected to make steady progress toward practical use while new technologies are incorporated from various fields, thereby making the role of ophthalmologists in this field increasingly important.
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10
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Artero-Castro A, Long K, Bassett A, Ávila-Fernandez A, Cortón M, Vidal-Puig A, Jendelova P, Rodriguez-Jimenez FJ, Clemente E, Ayuso C, Erceg S. Gene Correction Recovers Phagocytosis in Retinal Pigment Epithelium Derived from Retinitis Pigmentosa-Human-Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22042092. [PMID: 33672445 PMCID: PMC7923278 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22042092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2021] [Revised: 02/12/2021] [Accepted: 02/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Hereditary retinal dystrophies (HRD) represent a significant cause of blindness, affecting mostly retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) and photoreceptors (PRs), and currently suffer from a lack of effective treatments. Highly specialized RPE and PR cells interact mutually in the functional retina, therefore primary HRD affecting one cell type leading to a secondary HRD in the other cells. Phagocytosis is one of the primary functions of the RPE and studies have discovered that mutations in the phagocytosis-associated gene Mer tyrosine kinase receptor (MERTK) lead to primary RPE dystrophy. Treatment strategies for this rare disease include the replacement of diseased RPE with healthy autologous RPE to prevent PR degeneration. The generation and directed differentiation of patient-derived human-induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) may provide a means to generate autologous therapeutically-relevant adult cells, including RPE and PR. However, the continued presence of the MERTK gene mutation in patient-derived hiPSCs represents a significant drawback. Recently, we reported the generation of a hiPSC model of MERTK-associated Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP) that recapitulates disease phenotype and the subsequent creation of gene-corrected RP-hiPSCs using Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR)/Cas9. In this study, we differentiated gene-corrected RP-hiPSCs into RPE and found that these cells had recovered both wild-type MERTK protein expression and the lost phagocytosis of fluorescently-labeled photoreceptor outer segments observed in uncorrected RP-hiPSC-RPE. These findings provide proof-of-principle for the utility of gene-corrected hiPSCs as an unlimited cell source for personalized cell therapy of rare vision disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Artero-Castro
- Stem Cells Therapies in Neurodegenerative Diseases Lab, Centro de Investigación Principe Felipe (CIPF), 46012 Valencia, Spain; (A.A.-C.); (F.J.R.-J.); (E.C.)
| | - Kathleen Long
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge CB10 1SA, UK; (K.L.); (A.B.)
| | - Andrew Bassett
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge CB10 1SA, UK; (K.L.); (A.B.)
| | - Almudena Ávila-Fernandez
- Department of Genetics and Genomics, IIS-Fundación Jiménez Díaz, (IIS-FJD, UAM), 28040 Madrid, Spain; (A.Á.-F.); (M.C.); (C.A.)
- Center for Biomedical Network Research on Rare Diseases (CIBERER), ISCIII, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Marta Cortón
- Department of Genetics and Genomics, IIS-Fundación Jiménez Díaz, (IIS-FJD, UAM), 28040 Madrid, Spain; (A.Á.-F.); (M.C.); (C.A.)
- Center for Biomedical Network Research on Rare Diseases (CIBERER), ISCIII, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Antonio Vidal-Puig
- Metabolic Research Laboratories, Wellcome Trust MRC Institute of Metabolic Science, University of Cambridge, Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge CB2 0QQ, UK;
| | - Pavla Jendelova
- Institute of Experimental Medicine, Department of Neuroregeneration, Czech Academy of Science, 14220 Prague, Czech Republic;
| | - Francisco Javier Rodriguez-Jimenez
- Stem Cells Therapies in Neurodegenerative Diseases Lab, Centro de Investigación Principe Felipe (CIPF), 46012 Valencia, Spain; (A.A.-C.); (F.J.R.-J.); (E.C.)
| | - Eleonora Clemente
- Stem Cells Therapies in Neurodegenerative Diseases Lab, Centro de Investigación Principe Felipe (CIPF), 46012 Valencia, Spain; (A.A.-C.); (F.J.R.-J.); (E.C.)
| | - Carmen Ayuso
- Department of Genetics and Genomics, IIS-Fundación Jiménez Díaz, (IIS-FJD, UAM), 28040 Madrid, Spain; (A.Á.-F.); (M.C.); (C.A.)
- Center for Biomedical Network Research on Rare Diseases (CIBERER), ISCIII, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Slaven Erceg
- Stem Cells Therapies in Neurodegenerative Diseases Lab, Centro de Investigación Principe Felipe (CIPF), 46012 Valencia, Spain; (A.A.-C.); (F.J.R.-J.); (E.C.)
- Institute of Experimental Medicine, Department of Neuroregeneration, Czech Academy of Science, 14220 Prague, Czech Republic;
- National Stem Cell Bank-Valencia Node, Proteomics, Genotyping and Cell Line Platform, PRB3, ISCIII, Research Centre Principe Felipe, c/ Eduardo Primo Yúfera 3, 46012 Valencia, Spain
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +34-963-289-680 (ext. 1102)
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11
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Tagawa M, Ikeda HO, Inoue Y, Iwai S, Iida Y, Hata M, Asaka I, Tsujikawa A. Deterioration of phagocytosis in induced pluripotent stem cell-derived retinal pigment epithelial cells established from patients with retinitis pigmentosa carrying Mer tyrosine kinase mutations. Exp Eye Res 2021; 205:108503. [PMID: 33609509 DOI: 10.1016/j.exer.2021.108503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2020] [Revised: 02/09/2021] [Accepted: 02/12/2021] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is an incurable retinal degenerative disease with an unknown mechanism of disease progression. Mer tyrosine kinase (MERTK), which encodes a receptor of the Tyro3/Axl/Mer family of tyrosine kinases, is one of the causal genes of RP. MERTK is reportedly expressed in the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) and is essential for phagocytosis of the photoreceptor outer segment. Here, we established induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) from patients with RP having homozygous or compound heterozygous mutations in MERTK, and from healthy subjects; the RP patient- and healthy control-derived iPSCs were differentiated into RPE cells. Although cytoskeleton staining suggested that polarity may have been disturbed mildly, there were no apparent morphological differences between the diseased and normal RPE cells. The internalization of photoreceptor outer segments in diseased iPSC-RPE cells was significantly lower than that in normal iPSC-RPE cells. This in vitro disease model may be useful for elucidating the mechanisms of disease progression and screening treatments for the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miho Tagawa
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, 6068507, Japan
| | - Hanako Ohashi Ikeda
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, 6068507, Japan.
| | - Yumi Inoue
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, 6068507, Japan
| | - Sachiko Iwai
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, 6068507, Japan
| | - Yuto Iida
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, 6068507, Japan
| | - Masayuki Hata
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, 6068507, Japan
| | - Isao Asaka
- Department of Fundamental Cell Technology, Center for iPS Cell Research and Application (CiRA), Kyoto University, Kyoto, 6068507, Japan
| | - Akitaka Tsujikawa
- Department of Fundamental Cell Technology, Center for iPS Cell Research and Application (CiRA), Kyoto University, Kyoto, 6068507, Japan
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12
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Splicing mutations in inherited retinal diseases. Prog Retin Eye Res 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.preteyeres.2020.100874
expr 921883647 + 833887994] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/16/2023]
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13
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Futenma T, Akiyama Y, Tanaka S, Honda M, Toriumi T. Epithelial Cell Differentiation from Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Using a Single-Cell Culture Method. J HARD TISSUE BIOL 2021. [DOI: 10.2485/jhtb.30.151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Taku Futenma
- Department of Oral Anatomy, School of Dentistry, Aichi Gakuin University
| | - Yasunori Akiyama
- Department of Oral Anatomy, School of Dentistry, Aichi Gakuin University
| | - Sho Tanaka
- Department of Oral Anatomy, School of Dentistry, Aichi Gakuin University
| | - Masaki Honda
- Department of Oral Anatomy, School of Dentistry, Aichi Gakuin University
| | - Taku Toriumi
- Department of Oral Anatomy, School of Dentistry, Aichi Gakuin University
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14
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Biswas P, Borooah S, Matsui H, Voronchikhina M, Zhou J, Zawaydeh Q, Raghavendra PB, Ferreyra H, Riazuddin SA, Wahlin K, Frazer KA, Ayyagari R. Detection and validation of novel mutations in MERTK in a simplex case of retinal degeneration using WGS and hiPSC-RPEs model. Hum Mutat 2020; 42:189-199. [PMID: 33252167 DOI: 10.1002/humu.24146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2020] [Revised: 11/03/2020] [Accepted: 11/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Inherited retinal degenerations (IRDs) are a group of genetically heterogeneous conditions with a broad phenotypic heterogeneity. Here, we report detection and validation of the underlying cause of progressive retinal degeneration in a nuclear family of European descent with a single affected individual. Whole genome sequencing of the proband and her unaffected sibling identified a novel intron 8 donor splice site variant (c.1296 + 1G>A) and a novel 731 base pair deletion encompassing exon 9 (Chr2:g.112751488_112752218 del) resulting in c.1297_1451del; p.K433_G484fsTer3 in the Mer tyrosine kinase protooncogene (MERTK), which is highly expressed in the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE). The proband carried both variants in the heterozygous state, which segregated with disease in the pedigree. These MERTK variants are predicted to result in the defective splicing of exon 8 and loss of exon 9 respectively. To evaluate the impact of these novel variants, peripheral blood mononuclear cells of the proband and her parents were reprogrammed to humaninduced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC) lines, which were subsequently differentiated to hiPSC-RPE. Analysis of the proband's hiPSC-RPE revealed the absence of both MERTK transcript and its respective protein as well as abnormal phagocytosis when compared with the parental hiPSC-RPE. In summary, whole genome sequencing identified novel compound heterozygous variants in MERTK as the underlying cause of progressive retinal degeneration in a simplex case. Further, analysis using an hiPSC-RPE model established the functional impact of novel MERTK mutations and revealed the potential mechanism underlying pathology in the proband.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pooja Biswas
- Shiley Eye Institute, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA.,REVA University, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
| | - Shyamanga Borooah
- Shiley Eye Institute, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Hiroko Matsui
- Institute for Genomic Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Marina Voronchikhina
- Shiley Eye Institute, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Jason Zhou
- Shiley Eye Institute, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Qais Zawaydeh
- Shiley Eye Institute, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Pongali B Raghavendra
- REVA University, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India.,School of Regenerative Medicine, Manipal University-MAHE, Bangalore, India
| | - Henry Ferreyra
- Shiley Eye Institute, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - S Amer Riazuddin
- Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins Univesity School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Karl Wahlin
- Shiley Eye Institute, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Kelly A Frazer
- Institute for Genomic Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, Rady Children's Hospital, Division of Genome Information Sciences, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Radha Ayyagari
- Shiley Eye Institute, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
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15
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Schnichels S, Paquet-Durand F, Löscher M, Tsai T, Hurst J, Joachim SC, Klettner A. Retina in a dish: Cell cultures, retinal explants and animal models for common diseases of the retina. Prog Retin Eye Res 2020; 81:100880. [PMID: 32721458 DOI: 10.1016/j.preteyeres.2020.100880] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2019] [Revised: 06/23/2020] [Accepted: 06/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
For many retinal diseases, including age-related macular degeneration (AMD), glaucoma, and diabetic retinopathy (DR), the exact pathogenesis is still unclear. Moreover, the currently available therapeutic options are often unsatisfactory. Research designed to remedy this situation heavily relies on experimental animals. However, animal models often do not faithfully reproduce human disease and, currently, there is strong pressure from society to reduce animal research. Overall, this creates a need for improved disease models to understand pathologies and develop treatment options that, at the same time, require fewer or no experimental animals. Here, we review recent advances in the field of in vitro and ex vivo models for AMD, glaucoma, and DR. We highlight the difficulties associated with studies on complex diseases, in which both the initial trigger and the ensuing pathomechanisms are unclear, and then delineate which model systems are optimal for disease modelling. To this end, we present a variety of model systems, ranging from primary cell cultures, over organotypic cultures and whole eye cultures, to animal models. Specific advantages and disadvantages of such models are discussed, with a special focus on their relevance to putative in vivo disease mechanisms. In many cases, a replacement of in vivo research will mean that several different in vitro models are used in conjunction, for instance to analyze and validate causative molecular pathways. Finally, we argue that the analytical decomposition into appropriate cell and tissue model systems will allow making significant progress in our understanding of complex retinal diseases and may furthermore advance the treatment testing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sven Schnichels
- University Eye Hospital, Centre for Ophthalmology, University of Tübingen, Germany.
| | - François Paquet-Durand
- Institute for Ophthalmic Research, Centre for Ophthalmology, University of Tübingen, Germany
| | - Marina Löscher
- University Eye Hospital, Centre for Ophthalmology, University of Tübingen, Germany
| | - Teresa Tsai
- Experimental Eye Research Institute, University Eye Hospital, Ruhr-University Bochum, Germany
| | - José Hurst
- University Eye Hospital, Centre for Ophthalmology, University of Tübingen, Germany
| | - Stephanie C Joachim
- Experimental Eye Research Institute, University Eye Hospital, Ruhr-University Bochum, Germany
| | - Alexa Klettner
- Department of Ophthalmology, University Medical Center, University of Kiel, Kiel, Germany
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16
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Morizur L, Herardot E, Monville C, Ben M'Barek K. Human pluripotent stem cells: A toolbox to understand and treat retinal degeneration. Mol Cell Neurosci 2020; 107:103523. [PMID: 32634576 DOI: 10.1016/j.mcn.2020.103523] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2020] [Revised: 05/24/2020] [Accepted: 06/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) and Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP) are retinal degenerative disorders that dramatically damage the retina. As there is no therapeutic option for the majority of patients, vision is progressively and irremediably lost. Owing to their unlimited renewal and potency to give rise to any cell type of the human adult body, human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) have been extensively studied in recent years to develop more physiologically relevant in vitro cellular models. Such models open new perspectives to investigate the pathological molecular mechanisms of AMD and RP but also in drug screening. Moreover, proof-of-concept of hPSC-derived retinal cell therapy in animal models have led to first clinical trials. This review outlines the recent advances in the use of hPSCs in pathological modeling of retinal degeneration and their use in regenerative medicine. We also address the associated limitations and challenges that need to be overcome when using hPSCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lise Morizur
- INSERM U861, I-Stem, AFM, Institute for Stem Cell Therapy and Exploration of Monogenic Diseases, 91100 Corbeil-Essonnes, France; Université Paris-Saclay, Université d'Evry, U861, 91100 Corbeil-Essonnes, France; Centre d'Etude des Cellules Souches, 91100 Corbeil-Essonnes, France
| | - Elise Herardot
- INSERM U861, I-Stem, AFM, Institute for Stem Cell Therapy and Exploration of Monogenic Diseases, 91100 Corbeil-Essonnes, France; Université Paris-Saclay, Université d'Evry, U861, 91100 Corbeil-Essonnes, France
| | - Christelle Monville
- INSERM U861, I-Stem, AFM, Institute for Stem Cell Therapy and Exploration of Monogenic Diseases, 91100 Corbeil-Essonnes, France; Université Paris-Saclay, Université d'Evry, U861, 91100 Corbeil-Essonnes, France.
| | - Karim Ben M'Barek
- INSERM U861, I-Stem, AFM, Institute for Stem Cell Therapy and Exploration of Monogenic Diseases, 91100 Corbeil-Essonnes, France; Université Paris-Saclay, Université d'Evry, U861, 91100 Corbeil-Essonnes, France; Centre d'Etude des Cellules Souches, 91100 Corbeil-Essonnes, France.
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17
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Splicing mutations in inherited retinal diseases. Prog Retin Eye Res 2020; 80:100874. [PMID: 32553897 DOI: 10.1016/j.preteyeres.2020.100874] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2019] [Revised: 05/30/2020] [Accepted: 05/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Mutations which induce aberrant transcript splicing represent a distinct class of disease-causing genetic variants in retinal disease genes. Such mutations may either weaken or erase regular splice sites or create novel splice sites which alter exon recognition. While mutations affecting the canonical GU-AG dinucleotides at the splice donor and splice acceptor site are highly predictive to cause a splicing defect, other variants in the vicinity of the canonical splice sites or those affecting additional cis-acting regulatory sequences within exons or introns are much more difficult to assess or even to recognize and require additional experimental validation. Splicing mutations are unique in that the actual outcome for the transcript (e.g. exon skipping, pseudoexon inclusion, intron retention) and the encoded protein can be quite different depending on the individual mutation. In this article, we present an overview on the current knowledge about and impact of splicing mutations in inherited retinal diseases. We introduce the most common sub-classes of splicing mutations including examples from our own work and others and discuss current strategies for the identification and validation of splicing mutations, as well as therapeutic approaches, open questions, and future perspectives in this field of research.
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18
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Dalvi S, Galloway CA, Winschel L, Hashim A, Soto C, Tang C, MacDonald LA, Singh R. Environmental stress impairs photoreceptor outer segment (POS) phagocytosis and degradation and induces autofluorescent material accumulation in hiPSC-RPE cells. Cell Death Discov 2019; 5:96. [PMID: 31123602 PMCID: PMC6522536 DOI: 10.1038/s41420-019-0171-9] [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: 03/05/2019] [Revised: 03/19/2019] [Accepted: 03/21/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cell dysfunction is central to the pathogenesis of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a leading cause of adult blindness. Aging, the single biggest risk factor for AMD development, favors increase in RPE autofluorescent material due to accumulation of POS-digestion by-products through lysosomal dysfunction and impaired POS degradation. Apart from aging, environmental agents affect lysosomal function in multiple model systems and are implicated in AMD. Iron (Fe) overload and cigarette smoke exposure are the two environmental factors that are known to affect the lysosomal pathway and impact RPE cell health. However, the impact of Fe and cigarette smoke, on POS processing and its consequence for autofluorescent material accumulation in human RPE cells are yet to be established. Human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived RPE, which phagocytoses and degrades POS in culture and can be derived from control individuals (no history/susceptibility for retinal disease), provides a model system to investigate the singular effect of excess Fe and/or cigarette smoke on POS processing by RPE cells. Using at least three distinct control hiPSC lines, we show that, compared to untreated hiPSC-RPE cells, POS uptake is reduced in both Fe (ferric ammonium citrate or FAC) and FAC + CSE (cigarette smoke extract)-treated hiPSC-RPE cells. Furthermore, exposure of hiPSC-RPE cultures to FAC + CSE leads to reduced levels of active cathepsin-D (CTSD), a lysosomal enzyme involved in POS processing, and causes delayed degradation of POS. Notably, delayed degradation of POS over time (2 weeks) in hiPSC-RPE cells exposed to Fe and CSE was sufficient to increase autofluorescent material build-up in these cells. Given that inefficient POS processing-mediated autofluorescent material accumulation in RPE cells has already been linked to AMD development, our results implicate a causative role of environmental agents, like Fe and cigarette smoke, in AMD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonal Dalvi
- 1Department of Ophthalmology (Flaum Eye Institute), University of Rochester, Rochester, NY USA.,2Department of Biomedical Genetics, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY USA
| | - Chad A Galloway
- 1Department of Ophthalmology (Flaum Eye Institute), University of Rochester, Rochester, NY USA.,2Department of Biomedical Genetics, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY USA.,5Present Address: Department of Pathology and Lab Medicine, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY USA
| | - Lauren Winschel
- 1Department of Ophthalmology (Flaum Eye Institute), University of Rochester, Rochester, NY USA.,2Department of Biomedical Genetics, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY USA
| | - Ali Hashim
- 1Department of Ophthalmology (Flaum Eye Institute), University of Rochester, Rochester, NY USA.,2Department of Biomedical Genetics, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY USA
| | - Celia Soto
- 1Department of Ophthalmology (Flaum Eye Institute), University of Rochester, Rochester, NY USA.,2Department of Biomedical Genetics, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY USA
| | - Cynthia Tang
- 1Department of Ophthalmology (Flaum Eye Institute), University of Rochester, Rochester, NY USA.,2Department of Biomedical Genetics, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY USA
| | - Leslie A MacDonald
- 1Department of Ophthalmology (Flaum Eye Institute), University of Rochester, Rochester, NY USA.,2Department of Biomedical Genetics, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY USA
| | - Ruchira Singh
- 1Department of Ophthalmology (Flaum Eye Institute), University of Rochester, Rochester, NY USA.,2Department of Biomedical Genetics, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY USA.,3UR Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Institute, Rochester, NY USA.,4Center for Visual Science, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY USA
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19
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García Delgado AB, de la Cerda B, Alba Amador J, Valdés Sánchez ML, Fernández-Muñoz B, Relimpio López I, Rodríguez de la Rúa E, Díez Lloret A, Calado SM, Sánchez Pernaute R, Bhattacharya SS, Díaz Corrales FJ. Subretinal Transplant of Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Retinal Pigment Epithelium on Nanostructured Fibrin-Agarose. Tissue Eng Part A 2019; 25:799-808. [DOI: 10.1089/ten.tea.2019.0007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Ana B. García Delgado
- Regeneration and Cell Therapy Department, Andalusian Center for Molecular Biology and Regenerative Medicine (CABIMER), Seville, Spain
| | - Berta de la Cerda
- Regeneration and Cell Therapy Department, Andalusian Center for Molecular Biology and Regenerative Medicine (CABIMER), Seville, Spain
| | - Julia Alba Amador
- Unidad de Producción y Reprogramación Celular, Iniciativa Andaluza en Terapias Avanzadas, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Maria Lourdes Valdés Sánchez
- Regeneration and Cell Therapy Department, Andalusian Center for Molecular Biology and Regenerative Medicine (CABIMER), Seville, Spain
| | - Beatriz Fernández-Muñoz
- Unidad de Producción y Reprogramación Celular, Iniciativa Andaluza en Terapias Avanzadas, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Isabel Relimpio López
- University Hospital Virgen Macarena, Sevilla, Spain
- RETICS Oftared, Carlos III Institute of Health (Spain), Ministry of Health RD16/0008/0010, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Enrique Rodríguez de la Rúa
- University Hospital Virgen Macarena, Sevilla, Spain
- RETICS Oftared, Carlos III Institute of Health (Spain), Ministry of Health RD16/0008/0010, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Andrea Díez Lloret
- Regeneration and Cell Therapy Department, Andalusian Center for Molecular Biology and Regenerative Medicine (CABIMER), Seville, Spain
| | - Sofia M. Calado
- Regeneration and Cell Therapy Department, Andalusian Center for Molecular Biology and Regenerative Medicine (CABIMER), Seville, Spain
| | - Rosario Sánchez Pernaute
- Unidad de Producción y Reprogramación Celular, Iniciativa Andaluza en Terapias Avanzadas, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Shom S. Bhattacharya
- Regeneration and Cell Therapy Department, Andalusian Center for Molecular Biology and Regenerative Medicine (CABIMER), Seville, Spain
| | - Francisco J. Díaz Corrales
- Regeneration and Cell Therapy Department, Andalusian Center for Molecular Biology and Regenerative Medicine (CABIMER), Seville, Spain
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20
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Yanai A, McNab P, Gregory-Evans K. Retinal therapy with induced pluripotent stem cells; leading the way to human clinical trials. EXPERT REVIEW OF OPHTHALMOLOGY 2019. [DOI: 10.1080/17469899.2019.1568872] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Anat Yanai
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Pia McNab
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Kevin Gregory-Evans
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
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21
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Artero-Castro A, Popelka S, Jendelova P, Motlik J, Ardan T, Rodriguez Jimenez FJ, Erceg S. The identification of small molecules that stimulate retinal pigment epithelial cells: potential novel therapeutic options for treating retinopathies. Expert Opin Drug Discov 2019; 14:169-177. [PMID: 30616395 DOI: 10.1080/17460441.2019.1559148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Combinatory strategies using pharmacology and stem cell therapy have emerged due to their potential in the treatment of retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cell related diseases, and a variety of different stem cell sources have been evaluated both in animal models and in humans. RPE cells derived from human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) and human induced pluripotent cells (hiPSCs) are already in clinical trials, holding great promise for the treatment of age-related macular disease (AMD) and hereditary RPE-related retinal dystrophies. Highly efficient protocol for RPE generations have been developed, but they are still time-consuming and laborious. Areas covered: The authors review RPE related diseases, as well as the known functions of RPE cells in retinal homeostasis. The authors also discuss small molecules that target RPE in vivo as well as in vitro to aid RPE differentiation from pluripotent stem cells clinically. The authors base this review on literature searches performed through PubMed. Expert opinion: Using high-throughput systems, technology will provide the possibility of identifying and optimizing molecules/drugs that could lead to faster and simpler protocols for RPE differentiation. This could be crucial in moving forward to create safer and more efficient RPE-based personalized therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Artero-Castro
- a Stem Cell Therapies in Neurodegenerative Diseases Lab , Research Center "Principe Felipe" , Valencia , Spain
| | - Stepan Popelka
- b Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry , Czech Academy of Sciences , Praha 6 , Czech Republic
| | - Pavla Jendelova
- c Institute of Experimental Medicine, Department of Tissue Cultures and Stem Cells , Czech Academy of Sciences , Prague , Czech Republic
| | - Jan Motlik
- d Laboratory of Cell Regeneration and Plasticity, Research Center PIGMOD , Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics, Czech Academy of Sciences , Libechov , Czech Republic
| | - Taras Ardan
- d Laboratory of Cell Regeneration and Plasticity, Research Center PIGMOD , Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics, Czech Academy of Sciences , Libechov , Czech Republic
| | | | - Slaven Erceg
- a Stem Cell Therapies in Neurodegenerative Diseases Lab , Research Center "Principe Felipe" , Valencia , Spain.,c Institute of Experimental Medicine, Department of Tissue Cultures and Stem Cells , Czech Academy of Sciences , Prague , Czech Republic.,e National Stem Cell Bank-Valencia Node, Biomolecular and Bioinformatics Resources Platform PRB2,ISCIII , Research Center "Principe Felipe" , Valencia , Spain
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22
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Khan M, Fadaie Z, Cornelis SS, Cremers FPM, Roosing S. Identification and Analysis of Genes Associated with Inherited Retinal Diseases. Methods Mol Biol 2019; 1834:3-27. [PMID: 30324433 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-8669-9_1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Inherited retinal diseases (IRDs) display a very high degree of clinical and genetic heterogeneity, which poses challenges in finding the underlying defects in known IRD-associated genes and in identifying novel IRD-associated genes. Knowledge on the molecular and clinical aspects of IRDs has increased tremendously in the last decade. Here, we outline the state-of-the-art techniques to find the causative genetic variants, with special attention for next-generation sequencing which can combine molecular diagnostics and retinal disease gene identification. An important aspect is the functional assessment of rare variants with RNA and protein effects which can only be predicted in silico. We therefore describe the in vitro assessment of putative splice defects in human embryonic kidney cells. In addition, we outline the use of stem cell technology to generate photoreceptor precursor cells from patients' somatic cells which can subsequently be used for RNA and protein studies. Finally, we outline the in silico methods to interpret the causality of variants associated with inherited retinal disease and the registry of these variants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mubeen Khan
- Department of Human Genetics, Donders Institute for Brain Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Zeinab Fadaie
- Department of Human Genetics, Donders Institute for Brain Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Stéphanie S Cornelis
- Department of Human Genetics, Donders Institute for Brain Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Frans P M Cremers
- Department of Human Genetics, Donders Institute for Brain Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Susanne Roosing
- Department of Human Genetics, Donders Institute for Brain Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
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A Mini Review: Moving iPSC-Derived Retinal Subtypes Forward for Clinical Applications for Retinal Degenerative Diseases. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2019; 1185:557-561. [PMID: 31884670 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-27378-1_91] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
Patient-derived human-induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) have been critical in advancing our understanding of the underlying mechanisms of numerous retinal disorders. Many of these retinal disorders have no effective treatment and result in severe visual impairment and even blindness. Among the retinal degenerative diseases modeled by iPSCs are age-related macular degeneration (AMD), glaucoma, Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA), retinitis pigmentosa (RP), and autosomal dominant retinitis pigmentosa (adRP). In addition to studying retinal disease ontogenesis and pathology, hiPSCs have clinical and pharmacological applications, such as developing drug screening and gene therapy approaches and new cell-based clinical treatments. Recent studies have primarily focused on three retinal cell fates - retinal pigmented epithelium cells (RPE), retinal ganglion cells (RGCs), and photoreceptor cells - and have demonstrated that hiPSCs have great potential for increasing our knowledge of and developing treatments for retinal degenerative disorders.
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Dalvi S, Galloway CA, Singh R. Pluripotent Stem Cells to Model Degenerative Retinal Diseases: The RPE Perspective. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2019; 1186:1-31. [PMID: 31654384 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-28471-8_1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Pluripotent stem cell technology, including human-induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) and human embryonic stem cells (hESCs), has provided a suitable platform to investigate molecular and pathological alterations in an individual cell type using patient's own cells. Importantly, hiPSCs/hESCs are amenable to genome editing providing unique access to isogenic controls. Specifically, the ability to introduce disease-causing mutations in control (unaffected) and conversely correct disease-causing mutations in patient-derived hiPSCs has provided a powerful approach to clearly link the disease phenotype with a specific gene mutation. In fact, utilizing hiPSC/hESC and CRISPR technology has provided significant insight into the pathomechanism of several diseases. With regard to the eye, the use of hiPSCs/hESCs to study human retinal diseases is especially relevant to retinal pigment epithelium (RPE)-based disorders. This is because several studies have now consistently shown that hiPSC-RPE in culture displays key physical, gene expression and functional attributes of human RPE in vivo. In this book chapter, we will discuss the current utility, limitations, and plausible future approaches of pluripotent stem cell technology for the study of retinal degenerative diseases. Of note, although we will broadly summarize the significant advances made in modeling and studying several retinal diseases utilizing hiPSCs/hESCs, our specific focus will be on the utility of patient-derived hiPSCs for (1) establishment of human cell models and (2) molecular and pharmacological studies on patient-derived cell models of retinal degenerative diseases where RPE cellular defects play a major pathogenic role in disease development and progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonal Dalvi
- Department of Ophthalmology, Flaum Eye Institute, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA.,Department of Biomedical Genetics, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Chad A Galloway
- Department of Ophthalmology, Flaum Eye Institute, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA.,Department of Biomedical Genetics, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Ruchira Singh
- Department of Ophthalmology, Flaum Eye Institute, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA. .,Department of Biomedical Genetics, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA. .,UR Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Institute, Rochester, NY, USA. .,Center for Visual Science, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA.
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25
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Artero Castro A, Long K, Bassett A, Machuca C, León M, Ávila-Fernandez A, Cortón M, Vidal-Puig T, Ayuso C, Lukovic D, Erceg S. Generation of gene-corrected human induced pluripotent stem cell lines derived from retinitis pigmentosa patient with Ser331Cysfs*5 mutation in MERTK. Stem Cell Res 2018; 34:101341. [PMID: 30612079 DOI: 10.1016/j.scr.2018.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2018] [Revised: 10/29/2018] [Accepted: 11/09/2018] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC) line RP1-FiPS4F1 generated from the patient with autosomal recessive retinitis pigmentosa (arRP) caused by homozygous Ser331Cysfs*5 mutation in Mer tyrosine kinase receptor (MERTK) was genetically corrected using CRISPR/Cas9 system. Two isogenic hiPSCs lines, with heterozygous and homozygous correction of c.992_993delCA mutation in the MERTK gene were generated. These cell lines demonstrate normal karyotype, maintain a pluripotent state, and can differentiate toward three germ layers in vitro. These genetically corrected hiPSCs represent accurate controls to study the contribution of the specific genetic change to the disease, and potentially therapeutic material for cell-replacement therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Artero Castro
- Stem Cells Therapies in Neurodegenerative Diseases Lab, Centro de Investigacion Principe Felipe (CIPF), Valencia, Spain
| | - Kathleen Long
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge CB10 1SA, UK
| | - Andrew Bassett
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge CB10 1SA, UK
| | - Candela Machuca
- Stem Cells Therapies in Neurodegenerative Diseases Lab, Centro de Investigacion Principe Felipe (CIPF), Valencia, Spain; Unit of Genetics and Genomics of Neuromuscular and Neurodegenerative Disorders and Service of Genomics and Translational Genetics, Centro de Investigación Príncipe Felipe (CIPF), Valencia, Spain
| | - Marian León
- National Stem Cell Bank-Valencia Node, Proteomics, Genotyping and Cell Line Platform, PRB3, ISCIII, Research Centre Principe Felipe, c/Eduardo Primo Yúfera 3, 46012, Valencia, Spain
| | - Almudena Ávila-Fernandez
- Department of Genetics and Genomics, IIS-Fundación Jiménez Díaz, (IIS-FJD, UAM), 28040 Madrid, Spain; Center for Biomedical Network Research on Rare Diseases (CIBERER), ISCIII, Madrid, Spain
| | - Marta Cortón
- Department of Genetics and Genomics, IIS-Fundación Jiménez Díaz, (IIS-FJD, UAM), 28040 Madrid, Spain; Center for Biomedical Network Research on Rare Diseases (CIBERER), ISCIII, Madrid, Spain
| | - Toni Vidal-Puig
- University of Cambridge Metabolic Research Laboratories, Institute of Metabolic Science, MDU MRC. Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge CB2 0QQ, UK
| | - Carmen Ayuso
- Department of Genetics and Genomics, IIS-Fundación Jiménez Díaz, (IIS-FJD, UAM), 28040 Madrid, Spain; Center for Biomedical Network Research on Rare Diseases (CIBERER), ISCIII, Madrid, Spain
| | - Dunja Lukovic
- National Stem Cell Bank-Valencia Node, Proteomics, Genotyping and Cell Line Platform, PRB3, ISCIII, Research Centre Principe Felipe, c/Eduardo Primo Yúfera 3, 46012, Valencia, Spain
| | - Slaven Erceg
- Stem Cells Therapies in Neurodegenerative Diseases Lab, Centro de Investigacion Principe Felipe (CIPF), Valencia, Spain; National Stem Cell Bank-Valencia Node, Proteomics, Genotyping and Cell Line Platform, PRB3, ISCIII, Research Centre Principe Felipe, c/Eduardo Primo Yúfera 3, 46012, Valencia, Spain.
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26
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Foltz LP, Clegg DO. Patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells for modelling genetic retinal dystrophies. Prog Retin Eye Res 2018; 68:54-66. [PMID: 30217765 DOI: 10.1016/j.preteyeres.2018.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2018] [Revised: 09/05/2018] [Accepted: 09/07/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The human retina is a highly complex tissue that makes up an integral part of our central nervous system. It is astonishing that our retina works seamlessly to provide one of our most critical senses, and it is equally devastating when a disease destroys a portion of the retina and robs people of their vision. After decades of research, scientists are beginning to understand retinal cells in a way that can benefit the millions of individuals suffering from inherited blindness. This understanding has come about in part with the ability to culture human embryonic stem cells and the innovation of induced pluripotent stem cells, which can be cultured from patients and used to model their disease. In this review, we highlight the successes of specific disease modelling studies and resulting molecular discoveries. The greatest strides in cellular modelling have come from mutations in genes with established and well-understood cellular functions in the context of the retina. We believe that the future of cellular modelling depends on emphasising reproducible production of retinal cell types, demonstrating functional rescue using site-specific programmable nucleases, and shifting towards unbiased screening using next generation sequencing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leah P Foltz
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA; Center for Stem Cell Biology and Engineering, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA.
| | - Dennis O Clegg
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA; Center for Stem Cell Biology and Engineering, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
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27
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Anderson RH, Francis KR. Modeling rare diseases with induced pluripotent stem cell technology. Mol Cell Probes 2018; 40:52-59. [PMID: 29307697 PMCID: PMC6033695 DOI: 10.1016/j.mcp.2018.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2017] [Revised: 12/22/2017] [Accepted: 01/02/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Rare diseases, in totality, affect a significant proportion of the population and represent an unmet medical need facing the scientific community. However, the treatment of individuals affected by rare diseases is hampered by poorly understood mechanisms preventing the development of viable therapeutics. The discovery and application of cellular reprogramming to create novel induced pluripotent stem cell models of rare diseases has revolutionized the rare disease community. Through developmental and functional analysis of differentiated cell types, these stem cell models carrying patient-specific mutations have become an invaluable tool for rare disease research. In this review article, we discuss the reprogramming of samples from individuals affected with rare diseases to induced pluripotent stem cells, current and future applications for this technology, and how integration of genome editing to rare disease research will help to improve our understanding of disease pathogenesis and lead to patient therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruthellen H Anderson
- Cellular Therapies and Stem Cell Biology Group, Sanford Research, Sioux Falls, SD, USA; Sanford School of Medicine, University of South Dakota, Sioux Falls, SD, USA
| | - Kevin R Francis
- Cellular Therapies and Stem Cell Biology Group, Sanford Research, Sioux Falls, SD, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Sanford School of Medicine, University of South Dakota, Sioux Falls, SD, USA.
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28
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Kharitonov AE, Surdina AV, Lebedeva OS, Bogomazova AN, Lagarkova MA. Possibilities for Using Pluripotent Stem Cells for Restoring Damaged Eye Retinal Pigment Epithelium. Acta Naturae 2018; 10:30-39. [PMID: 30397524 PMCID: PMC6209409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2018] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
The retinal pigment epithelium is a monolayer of pigmented, hexagonal cells connected by tight junctions. These cells compose part of the outer blood-retina barrier, protect the eye from excessive light, have important secretory functions, and support the function of photoreceptors, ensuring the coordination of a variety of regulatory mechanisms. It is the degeneration of the pigment epithelium that is the root cause of many retinal degenerative diseases. The search for reliable cell sources for the transplantation of retinal pigment epithelium is of extreme urgency. Pluripotent stem cells (embryonic stem or induced pluripotent) can be differentiated with high efficiency into the pigment epithelium of the retina, which opens up possibilities for cellular therapy in macular degeneration and can slow down the development of pathology and, perhaps, restore a patient's vision. Pioneering clinical trials on transplantation of retinal pigment epithelial cells differentiated from pluripotent stem cells in the United States and Japan confirmed the need for developing and optimizing such approaches to cell therapy. For effective use, pigment epithelial cells differentiated from pluripotent stem cells should have a set of functional properties characteristic of such cells in vivo. This review summarizes the current state of preclinical and clinical studies in the field of retinal pigment epithelial transplantation therapy. We also discuss different differentiation protocols based on data in the literature and our own data, and the problems holding back the widespread therapeutic application of retinal pigment epithelium differentiated from pluripotent stem cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- A. E. Kharitonov
- Federal Research and Clinical Center of Physical-Chemical Medicine of Federal Medical Biological Agency, Malaya Pirogovskaya Str., 1a, Moscow, 119435, Russia
| | - A. V. Surdina
- Federal Research and Clinical Center of Physical-Chemical Medicine of Federal Medical Biological Agency, Malaya Pirogovskaya Str., 1a, Moscow, 119435, Russia
| | - O. S. Lebedeva
- Federal Research and Clinical Center of Physical-Chemical Medicine of Federal Medical Biological Agency, Malaya Pirogovskaya Str., 1a, Moscow, 119435, Russia
| | - A. N. Bogomazova
- Federal Research and Clinical Center of Physical-Chemical Medicine of Federal Medical Biological Agency, Malaya Pirogovskaya Str., 1a, Moscow, 119435, Russia
| | - M. A. Lagarkova
- Federal Research and Clinical Center of Physical-Chemical Medicine of Federal Medical Biological Agency, Malaya Pirogovskaya Str., 1a, Moscow, 119435, Russia
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29
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Audo I, Mohand-Said S, Boulanger-Scemama E, Zanlonghi X, Condroyer C, Démontant V, Boyard F, Antonio A, Méjécase C, El Shamieh S, Sahel JA, Zeitz C. MERTK
mutation update in inherited retinal diseases. Hum Mutat 2018; 39:887-913. [DOI: 10.1002/humu.23431] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2017] [Revised: 03/22/2018] [Accepted: 03/29/2018] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Isabelle Audo
- Sorbonne Université; INSERM; CNRS; Institut de la Vision; Paris France
- CHNO des Quinze-Vingts; DHU Sight Restore; INSERM-DGOS CIC1423 Paris France
- University College London Institute of Ophthalmology; London UK
| | - Saddek Mohand-Said
- Sorbonne Université; INSERM; CNRS; Institut de la Vision; Paris France
- CHNO des Quinze-Vingts; DHU Sight Restore; INSERM-DGOS CIC1423 Paris France
| | - Elise Boulanger-Scemama
- Sorbonne Université; INSERM; CNRS; Institut de la Vision; Paris France
- Fondation Ophtalmologique Adolphe de Rothschild; Paris France
| | | | | | - Vanessa Démontant
- Sorbonne Université; INSERM; CNRS; Institut de la Vision; Paris France
| | - Fiona Boyard
- Sorbonne Université; INSERM; CNRS; Institut de la Vision; Paris France
| | - Aline Antonio
- Sorbonne Université; INSERM; CNRS; Institut de la Vision; Paris France
| | - Cécile Méjécase
- Sorbonne Université; INSERM; CNRS; Institut de la Vision; Paris France
| | - Said El Shamieh
- Sorbonne Université; INSERM; CNRS; Institut de la Vision; Paris France
- Department of Medical Laboratory Technology; Faculty of Health Sciences; Beirut Arab University; Beirut Lebanon
| | - José-Alain Sahel
- Sorbonne Université; INSERM; CNRS; Institut de la Vision; Paris France
- CHNO des Quinze-Vingts; DHU Sight Restore; INSERM-DGOS CIC1423 Paris France
- University College London Institute of Ophthalmology; London UK
- Fondation Ophtalmologique Adolphe de Rothschild; Paris France
- Académie des Sciences-Institut de France; Paris France. Department of Ophthalmology; University of Pittsburgh Medical School; Pittsburgh Pennsylvania
| | - Christina Zeitz
- Sorbonne Université; INSERM; CNRS; Institut de la Vision; Paris France
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30
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Special Issue Introduction: Inherited Retinal Disease: Novel Candidate Genes, Genotype-Phenotype Correlations, and Inheritance Models. Genes (Basel) 2018; 9:genes9040215. [PMID: 29659558 PMCID: PMC5924557 DOI: 10.3390/genes9040215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2018] [Accepted: 04/13/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Inherited retinal diseases (IRDs) are genetically and clinically heterogeneous disorders.[...].
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31
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Rathod R, Surendran H, Battu R, Desai J, Pal R. Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC)-derived retinal cells in disease modeling and regenerative medicine. J Chem Neuroanat 2018; 95:81-88. [PMID: 29448001 DOI: 10.1016/j.jchemneu.2018.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2017] [Revised: 02/02/2018] [Accepted: 02/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Retinal degenerative disorders are a leading cause of the inherited, irreversible and incurable vision loss. While various rodent model systems have provided crucial information in this direction, lack of disease-relevant tissue availability and species-specific differences have proven to be a major roadblock. Human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) have opened up a whole new avenue of possibilities not just in understanding the disease mechanism but also potential therapeutic approaches towards a cure. In this review, we have summarized recent advances in the methods of deriving retinal cell types from iPSCs which can serve as a renewable source of disease-relevant cell population for basic as well as translational studies. We also provide an overview of the ongoing efforts towards developing a suitable in vitro model for modeling retinal degenerative diseases. This basic understanding in turn has contributed to advances in translational goals such as drug screening and cell-replacement therapies. Furthermore we discuss gene editing approaches for autologous repair of genetic disorders and allogeneic transplantation of stem cell-based retinal derivatives for degenerative disorders with an ultimate goal to restore vision. It is pertinent to note however, that these exciting new developments throw up several challenges that need to be overcome before their full clinical potential can be realized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reena Rathod
- Eyestem Research Private Limited, Centre for Cellular and Molecular Platforms (CCAMP), National Centre for Biological Sciences-Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (NCBS-TIFR), GKVK Campus, Bangalore, 560065, India
| | - Harshini Surendran
- Eyestem Research Private Limited, Centre for Cellular and Molecular Platforms (CCAMP), National Centre for Biological Sciences-Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (NCBS-TIFR), GKVK Campus, Bangalore, 560065, India
| | - Rajani Battu
- Eyestem Research Private Limited, Centre for Cellular and Molecular Platforms (CCAMP), National Centre for Biological Sciences-Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (NCBS-TIFR), GKVK Campus, Bangalore, 560065, India; Centre for Eye Genetics and Research, Cytecare Hospital, Bellary Road, Bangalore, 560064, India
| | - Jogin Desai
- Eyestem Research Private Limited, Centre for Cellular and Molecular Platforms (CCAMP), National Centre for Biological Sciences-Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (NCBS-TIFR), GKVK Campus, Bangalore, 560065, India; Centre for Eye Genetics and Research, Cytecare Hospital, Bellary Road, Bangalore, 560064, India
| | - Rajarshi Pal
- Eyestem Research Private Limited, Centre for Cellular and Molecular Platforms (CCAMP), National Centre for Biological Sciences-Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (NCBS-TIFR), GKVK Campus, Bangalore, 560065, India.
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32
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Artero Castro A, Lukovic D, Jendelova P, Erceg S. Concise Review: Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell Models of Retinitis Pigmentosa. Stem Cells 2018; 36:474-481. [DOI: 10.1002/stem.2783] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2017] [Revised: 12/05/2017] [Accepted: 12/19/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ana Artero Castro
- Stem Cells Therapies in Neurodegenerative Diseases Lab, Research Center “Principe Felipe”; Valencia Spain
- National Stem Cell Bank-Valencia Node, Biomolecular and Bioinformatics Resources Platform PRB2; ISCIII, Research Center “Principe Felipe”; Valencia Spain
| | - Dunja Lukovic
- Stem Cells Therapies in Neurodegenerative Diseases Lab, Research Center “Principe Felipe”; Valencia Spain
- National Stem Cell Bank-Valencia Node, Biomolecular and Bioinformatics Resources Platform PRB2; ISCIII, Research Center “Principe Felipe”; Valencia Spain
| | - Pavla Jendelova
- Institute of Experimental Medicine, Department of Tissue Cultures and Stem Cells; Czech Academy of Sciences; Prague Czech Republic
| | - Slaven Erceg
- Stem Cells Therapies in Neurodegenerative Diseases Lab, Research Center “Principe Felipe”; Valencia Spain
- National Stem Cell Bank-Valencia Node, Biomolecular and Bioinformatics Resources Platform PRB2; ISCIII, Research Center “Principe Felipe”; Valencia Spain
- Institute of Experimental Medicine, Department of Tissue Cultures and Stem Cells; Czech Academy of Sciences; Prague Czech Republic
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33
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Sorsby fundus dystrophy - A review of pathology and disease mechanisms. Exp Eye Res 2017; 165:35-46. [PMID: 28847738 DOI: 10.1016/j.exer.2017.08.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2017] [Revised: 08/23/2017] [Accepted: 08/23/2017] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Sorsby fundus dystrophy (SFD) is an autosomal dominant macular dystrophy with an estimated prevalence of 1 in 220,000 and an onset of disease around the 4th to 6th decade of life. Similar to age-related macular degeneration (AMD), ophthalmoscopy reveals accumulation of protein/lipid deposits under the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), referred to as drusen, in the eyes of patients with SFD. SFD is caused by variants in the gene for tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-3 (TIMP3), which has been found in drusen-like deposits of SFD patients. TIMP3 is constitutively expressed by RPE cells and, in healthy eyes, resides in Bruch's membrane. Most SFD-associated TIMP3 variants involve the gain or loss of a cysteine residue. This suggests the protein aberrantly forms intermolecular disulphide bonds, resulting in the formation of TIMP3 dimers. It has been demonstrated that SFD-associated TIMP3 variants are more resistant to turnover, which is thought to be a result of dimerisation and thought to explain the accumulation of TIMP3 in drusen-like deposits at the level of Bruch's membrane. An important function of TIMP3 within the outer retina is to regulate the thickness of Bruch's membrane. TIMP3 performs this function by inhibiting the activity of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), which have the function of catalysing breakdown of the extracellular matrix. TIMP3 has an additional function to inhibit vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) signalling and thereby to inhibit angiogenesis. However, it is unclear whether SFD-associated TIMP3 variant proteins retain these functions. In this review, we discuss the current understanding of the potential mechanisms underlying development of SFD and summarise all known SFD-associated TIMP3 variants. Cell culture models provide an invaluable way to study disease and identify potential treatments. These allow a greater understanding of RPE physiology and pathophysiology, including the ability to study the blood-retinal barrier as well as other RPE functions such as phagocytosis of photoreceptor outer segments. This review describes some examples of such recent in vitro studies and how they might provide new insights into degenerative diseases like SFD. Thus far, most studies on SFD have been performed using ARPE-19 cells or other, less suitable, cell-types. Now, induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) technologies allow the possibility to non-invasively collect somatic cells, such as dermal fibroblast cells and reprogram those to produce iPSCs. Subsequent differentiation of iPSCs can generate patient-derived RPE cells that carry the same disease-associated variant as RPE cells in the eyes of the patient. Use of these patient-derived RPE cells in novel cell culture systems should increase our understanding of how SFD and similar macular dystrophies develop.
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34
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Ramsden CM, Nommiste B, R Lane A, Carr AJF, Powner MB, J K Smart M, Chen LL, Muthiah MN, Webster AR, Moore AT, Cheetham ME, da Cruz L, Coffey PJ. Rescue of the MERTK phagocytic defect in a human iPSC disease model using translational read-through inducing drugs. Sci Rep 2017; 7:51. [PMID: 28246391 PMCID: PMC5427915 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-00142-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2016] [Accepted: 02/07/2017] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Inherited retinal dystrophies are an important cause of blindness, for which currently there are no effective treatments. In order to study this heterogeneous group of diseases, adequate disease models are required in order to better understand pathology and to test potential therapies. Induced pluripotent stem cells offer a new way to recapitulate patient specific diseases in vitro, providing an almost limitless amount of material to study. We used fibroblast-derived induced pluripotent stem cells to generate retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) from an individual suffering from retinitis pigmentosa associated with biallelic variants in MERTK. MERTK has an essential role in phagocytosis, one of the major functions of the RPE. The MERTK deficiency in this individual results from a nonsense variant and so the MERTK-RPE cells were subsequently treated with two translational readthrough inducing drugs (G418 & PTC124) to investigate potential restoration of expression of the affected gene and production of a full-length protein. The data show that PTC124 was able to reinstate phagocytosis of labeled photoreceptor outer segments at a reduced, but significant level. These findings represent a confirmation of the usefulness of iPSC derived disease specific models in investigating the pathogenesis and screening potential treatments for these rare blinding disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Conor M Ramsden
- Department of Ocular Biology and Therapeutics (ORBIT), Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London, 11-43 Bath Street, London, EC1V 9EL, UK.,NIHR Biomedical Research Centre at Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, London, EC1V 2PD, UK.,Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, 162 City Road, London, EC1V 2PD, UK
| | - Britta Nommiste
- Department of Ocular Biology and Therapeutics (ORBIT), Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London, 11-43 Bath Street, London, EC1V 9EL, UK
| | - Amelia R Lane
- Department of Ocular Biology and Therapeutics (ORBIT), Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London, 11-43 Bath Street, London, EC1V 9EL, UK
| | - Amanda-Jayne F Carr
- Department of Ocular Biology and Therapeutics (ORBIT), Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London, 11-43 Bath Street, London, EC1V 9EL, UK
| | - Michael B Powner
- Department of Ocular Biology and Therapeutics (ORBIT), Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London, 11-43 Bath Street, London, EC1V 9EL, UK.,Division of Optometry and Visual Sciences, City University London, Northampton Square, London, EC1V 0HB, UK
| | - Matthew J K Smart
- Department of Ocular Biology and Therapeutics (ORBIT), Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London, 11-43 Bath Street, London, EC1V 9EL, UK
| | - Li Li Chen
- Department of Ocular Biology and Therapeutics (ORBIT), Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London, 11-43 Bath Street, London, EC1V 9EL, UK
| | - Manickam N Muthiah
- NIHR Biomedical Research Centre at Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, London, EC1V 2PD, UK.,Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, 162 City Road, London, EC1V 2PD, UK
| | - Andrew R Webster
- Department of Ocular Biology and Therapeutics (ORBIT), Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London, 11-43 Bath Street, London, EC1V 9EL, UK.,NIHR Biomedical Research Centre at Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, London, EC1V 2PD, UK
| | - Anthony T Moore
- Department of Ocular Biology and Therapeutics (ORBIT), Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London, 11-43 Bath Street, London, EC1V 9EL, UK.,NIHR Biomedical Research Centre at Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, London, EC1V 2PD, UK.,UCSF School of Medicine, Koret Vision Center, 10 Koret Way, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Michael E Cheetham
- Department of Ocular Biology and Therapeutics (ORBIT), Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London, 11-43 Bath Street, London, EC1V 9EL, UK
| | - Lyndon da Cruz
- Department of Ocular Biology and Therapeutics (ORBIT), Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London, 11-43 Bath Street, London, EC1V 9EL, UK.,NIHR Biomedical Research Centre at Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, London, EC1V 2PD, UK.,Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, 162 City Road, London, EC1V 2PD, UK
| | - Peter J Coffey
- Department of Ocular Biology and Therapeutics (ORBIT), Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London, 11-43 Bath Street, London, EC1V 9EL, UK. .,NIHR Biomedical Research Centre at Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, London, EC1V 2PD, UK. .,Center for Stem Cell Biology and Engineering, NRI, UC Santa Barbara, USA.
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Hung SSC, Khan S, Lo CY, Hewitt AW, Wong RCB. Drug discovery using induced pluripotent stem cell models of neurodegenerative and ocular diseases. Pharmacol Ther 2017; 177:32-43. [PMID: 28223228 DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2017.02.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The revolution of induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) technology provides a platform for development of cell therapy, disease modeling and drug discovery. Recent technological advances now allow us to reprogram a patient's somatic cells into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). Together with methods to differentiate these iPSCs into disease-relevant cell types, we are now able to model disease in vitro using iPSCs. Importantly, this represents a robust in vitro platform using patient-specific cells, providing opportunity for personalized precision medicine. Here we provide a review of advances using iPSC for drug development, and discuss the potential and limitations of iPSCs for drug discovery in neurodegenerative and ocular diseases. Emerging technologies that can facilitate the search for new drugs by assessment using in vitro disease models will also be discussed, including organoid differentiation, organ-on-chip, direct reprogramming and humanized animal models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandy S C Hung
- Centre for Eye Research Australia & Ophthalmology, Department of Surgery, University of Melbourne, Australia
| | - Shahnaz Khan
- Centre for Eye Research Australia & Ophthalmology, Department of Surgery, University of Melbourne, Australia
| | - Camden Y Lo
- Monash Micro Imaging, Monash University, Australia
| | - Alex W Hewitt
- Centre for Eye Research Australia & Ophthalmology, Department of Surgery, University of Melbourne, Australia; Menzies Institute for Medical Research, School of Medicine, University of Tasmania, Australia
| | - Raymond C B Wong
- Centre for Eye Research Australia & Ophthalmology, Department of Surgery, University of Melbourne, Australia.
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Hunt NC, Hallam D, Karimi A, Mellough CB, Chen J, Steel DHW, Lako M. 3D culture of human pluripotent stem cells in RGD-alginate hydrogel improves retinal tissue development. Acta Biomater 2017; 49:329-343. [PMID: 27826002 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2016.11.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 100] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2016] [Revised: 11/01/2016] [Accepted: 11/03/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
No treatments exist to effectively treat many retinal diseases. Retinal pigmented epithelium (RPE) and neural retina can be generated from human embryonic stem cells/induced pluripotent stem cells (hESCs/hiPSCs). The efficacy of current protocols is, however, limited. It was hypothesised that generation of laminated neural retina and/or RPE from hiPSCs/hESCs could be enhanced by three dimensional (3D) culture in hydrogels. hiPSC- and hESC-derived embryoid bodies (EBs) were encapsulated in 0.5% RGD-alginate; 1% RGD-alginate; hyaluronic acid (HA) or HA/gelatin hydrogels and maintained until day 45. Compared with controls (no gel), 0.5% RGD-alginate increased: the percentage of EBs with pigmented RPE foci; the percentage EBs with optic vesicles (OVs) and pigmented RPE simultaneously; the area covered by RPE; frequency of RPE cells (CRALBP+); expression of RPE markers (TYR and RPE65) and the retinal ganglion cell marker, MATH5. Furthermore, 0.5% RGD-alginate hydrogel encapsulation did not adversely affect the expression of other neural retina markers (PROX1, CRX, RCVRN, AP2α or VSX2) as determined by qRT-PCR, or the percentage of VSX2 positive cells as determined by flow cytometry. 1% RGD-alginate increased the percentage of EBs with OVs and/or RPE, but did not significantly influence any other measures of retinal differentiation. HA-based hydrogels had no significant effect on retinal tissue development. The results indicated that derivation of retinal tissue from hESCs/hiPSCs can be enhanced by culture in 0.5% RGD-alginate hydrogel. This RGD-alginate scaffold may be useful for derivation, transport and transplantation of neural retina and RPE, and may also enhance formation of other pigmented, neural or epithelial tissue. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE The burden of retinal disease is ever growing with the increasing age of the world-wide population. Transplantation of retinal tissue derived from human pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) is considered a promising treatment. However, derivation of retinal tissue from PSCs using defined media is a lengthy process and often variable between different cell lines. This study indicated that alginate hydrogels enhanced retinal tissue development from PSCs, whereas hyaluronic acid-based hydrogels did not. This is the first study to show that 3D culture with a biomaterial scaffold can improve retinal tissue derivation from PSCs. These findings indicate potential for the clinical application of alginate hydrogels for the derivation and subsequent transplantation retinal tissue. This work may also have implications for the derivation of other pigmented, neural or epithelial tissue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicola C Hunt
- Institute of Genetic Medicine, Newcastle University, International Centre for Life, Central Parkway, Newcastle NE1 3BZ, UK.
| | - Dean Hallam
- Institute of Genetic Medicine, Newcastle University, International Centre for Life, Central Parkway, Newcastle NE1 3BZ, UK.
| | - Ayesha Karimi
- Cumberland Infirmary, North Cumbria University Hospitals NHS Trust, Carlisle CA2 7HY, UK
| | - Carla B Mellough
- Institute of Genetic Medicine, Newcastle University, International Centre for Life, Central Parkway, Newcastle NE1 3BZ, UK.
| | - Jinju Chen
- School of Mechanical & Systems Engineering, Stephenson Building, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.
| | - David H W Steel
- Institute of Genetic Medicine, Newcastle University, International Centre for Life, Central Parkway, Newcastle NE1 3BZ, UK; Sunderland Eye Infirmary, Queen Alexandra Road, Sunderland SR2 9HP, UK.
| | - Majlinda Lako
- Institute of Genetic Medicine, Newcastle University, International Centre for Life, Central Parkway, Newcastle NE1 3BZ, UK.
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37
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Parfitt DA, Lane A, Ramsden C, Jovanovic K, Coffey PJ, Hardcastle AJ, Cheetham ME. Using induced pluripotent stem cells to understand retinal ciliopathy disease mechanisms and develop therapies. Biochem Soc Trans 2016; 44:1245-1251. [PMID: 27911706 PMCID: PMC5238943 DOI: 10.1042/bst20160156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2016] [Revised: 07/15/2016] [Accepted: 07/19/2016] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
The photoreceptor cells in the retina have a highly specialised sensory cilium, the outer segment (OS), which is important for detecting light. Mutations in cilia-related genes often result in retinal degeneration. The ability to reprogramme human cells into induced pluripotent stem cells and then differentiate them into a wide range of different cell types has revolutionised our ability to study human disease. To date, however, the challenge of producing fully differentiated photoreceptors in vitro has limited the application of this technology in studying retinal degeneration. In this review, we will discuss recent advances in stem cell technology and photoreceptor differentiation. In particular, the development of photoreceptors with rudimentary OS that can be used to understand disease mechanisms and as an important model to test potential new therapies for inherited retinal ciliopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- David A. Parfitt
- UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, 11-43 Bath Street, London, EC1V 9EL UK
| | - Amelia Lane
- UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, 11-43 Bath Street, London, EC1V 9EL UK
| | - Conor Ramsden
- UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, 11-43 Bath Street, London, EC1V 9EL UK
| | | | - Peter J. Coffey
- UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, 11-43 Bath Street, London, EC1V 9EL UK
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38
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Abstract
Retinitis pigmentosa is the most common form of hereditary retinal degeneration causing blindness. Great progress has been made in the identification of the causative genes. Gene diagnosis will soon become an affordable routine clinical test because of the wide application of next-generation sequencing. Gene-based therapy provides hope for curing the disease. Investigation into the molecular pathways from mutation to rod cell death may reveal targets for developing new treatment. Related progress with existing systematic review is briefly summarized so that readers may find the relevant references for in-depth reading. Future trends in the study of retinitis pigmentosa are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingjiong Zhang
- From the State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
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39
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Di Foggia V, Makwana P, Ali RR, Sowden JC. Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell Therapies for Degenerative Disease of the Outer Retina: Disease Modeling and Cell Replacement. J Ocul Pharmacol Ther 2016; 32:240-52. [PMID: 27027805 DOI: 10.1089/jop.2015.0143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Stem cell therapies are being explored as potential treatments for retinal disease. How to replace neurons in a degenerated retina presents a continued challenge for the regenerative medicine field that, if achieved, could restore sight. The major issues are: (i) the source and availability of donor cells for transplantation; (ii) the differentiation of stem cells into the required retinal cells; and (iii) the delivery, integration, functionality, and survival of new cells in the host neural network. This review considers the use of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC), currently under intense investigation, as a platform for cell transplantation therapy. Moreover, patient-specific iPSC are being developed for autologous cell transplantation and as a tool for modeling specific retinal diseases, testing gene therapies, and drug screening.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Di Foggia
- 1 UCL Institute of Child Health, University College London , London, United Kingdom
| | - Priyanka Makwana
- 1 UCL Institute of Child Health, University College London , London, United Kingdom
| | - Robin R Ali
- 2 UCL Institute of Ophthalmology , London, United Kingdom
| | - Jane C Sowden
- 1 UCL Institute of Child Health, University College London , London, United Kingdom
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