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Yang GN, Sun YBY, Roberts PK, Moka H, Sung MK, Gardner-Russell J, El Wazan L, Toussaint B, Kumar S, Machin H, Dusting GJ, Parfitt GJ, Davidson K, Chong EW, Brown KD, Polo JM, Daniell M. Exploring single-cell RNA sequencing as a decision-making tool in the clinical management of Fuchs' endothelial corneal dystrophy. Prog Retin Eye Res 2024; 102:101286. [PMID: 38969166 DOI: 10.1016/j.preteyeres.2024.101286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2024] [Revised: 06/14/2024] [Accepted: 07/02/2024] [Indexed: 07/07/2024]
Abstract
Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) has enabled the identification of novel gene signatures and cell heterogeneity in numerous tissues and diseases. Here we review the use of this technology for Fuchs' Endothelial Corneal Dystrophy (FECD). FECD is the most common indication for corneal endothelial transplantation worldwide. FECD is challenging to manage because it is genetically heterogenous, can be autosomal dominant or sporadic, and progress at different rates. Single-cell RNA sequencing has enabled the discovery of several FECD subtypes, each with associated gene signatures, and cell heterogeneity. Current FECD treatments are mainly surgical, with various Rho kinase (ROCK) inhibitors used to promote endothelial cell metabolism and proliferation following surgery. A range of emerging therapies for FECD including cell therapies, gene therapies, tissue engineered scaffolds, and pharmaceuticals are in preclinical and clinical trials. Unlike conventional disease management methods based on clinical presentations and family history, targeting FECD using scRNA-seq based precision-medicine has the potential to pinpoint the disease subtypes, mechanisms, stages, severities, and help clinicians in making the best decision for surgeries and the applications of therapeutics. In this review, we first discuss the feasibility and potential of using scRNA-seq in clinical diagnostics for FECD, highlight advances from the latest clinical treatments and emerging therapies for FECD, integrate scRNA-seq results and clinical notes from our FECD patients and discuss the potential of applying alternative therapies to manage these cases clinically.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gink N Yang
- Centre for Eye Research Australia, Level 7, Peter Howson Wing, 32 Gisborne Street, East Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Ophthalmology, Department of Surgery, University of Melbourne and Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, East Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Yu B Y Sun
- Department of Anatomy and Development Biology, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
| | - Philip Ke Roberts
- Department of Ophthalmology, Medical University Vienna, 18-20 Währinger Gürtel, Vienna, Austria
| | - Hothri Moka
- Mogrify Limited, 25 Cambridge Science Park Milton Road, Milton, Cambridge, UK
| | - Min K Sung
- Mogrify Limited, 25 Cambridge Science Park Milton Road, Milton, Cambridge, UK
| | - Jesse Gardner-Russell
- Centre for Eye Research Australia, Level 7, Peter Howson Wing, 32 Gisborne Street, East Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Ophthalmology, Department of Surgery, University of Melbourne and Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, East Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Layal El Wazan
- Centre for Eye Research Australia, Level 7, Peter Howson Wing, 32 Gisborne Street, East Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Ophthalmology, Department of Surgery, University of Melbourne and Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, East Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Bridget Toussaint
- Centre for Eye Research Australia, Level 7, Peter Howson Wing, 32 Gisborne Street, East Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Ophthalmology, Department of Surgery, University of Melbourne and Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, East Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Satheesh Kumar
- Centre for Eye Research Australia, Level 7, Peter Howson Wing, 32 Gisborne Street, East Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Ophthalmology, Department of Surgery, University of Melbourne and Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, East Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Heather Machin
- Centre for Eye Research Australia, Level 7, Peter Howson Wing, 32 Gisborne Street, East Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Ophthalmology, Department of Surgery, University of Melbourne and Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, East Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Lions Eye Donation Service, Level 7, Smorgon Family Wing, 32 Gisborne Street, East Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Gregory J Dusting
- Centre for Eye Research Australia, Level 7, Peter Howson Wing, 32 Gisborne Street, East Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Ophthalmology, Department of Surgery, University of Melbourne and Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, East Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Geraint J Parfitt
- Mogrify Limited, 25 Cambridge Science Park Milton Road, Milton, Cambridge, UK
| | - Kathryn Davidson
- Department of Anatomy and Development Biology, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
| | - Elaine W Chong
- Centre for Eye Research Australia, Level 7, Peter Howson Wing, 32 Gisborne Street, East Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Ophthalmology, Department of Surgery, University of Melbourne and Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, East Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Department of Ophthalmology, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Karl D Brown
- Centre for Eye Research Australia, Level 7, Peter Howson Wing, 32 Gisborne Street, East Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Ophthalmology, Department of Surgery, University of Melbourne and Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, East Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Jose M Polo
- Department of Anatomy and Development Biology, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
| | - Mark Daniell
- Centre for Eye Research Australia, Level 7, Peter Howson Wing, 32 Gisborne Street, East Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Ophthalmology, Department of Surgery, University of Melbourne and Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, East Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Lions Eye Donation Service, Level 7, Smorgon Family Wing, 32 Gisborne Street, East Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
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Pizzuto S, Duffey G, Weant J, Eveleth D. Acceleration of Regeneration of the Corneal Endothelial Layer After Descemet Stripping Induced by the Engineered FGF TTHX1114 in Human Corneas in Organ Culture. Cornea 2023; 42:232-242. [PMID: 35942526 PMCID: PMC9797199 DOI: 10.1097/ico.0000000000003098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2022] [Revised: 05/07/2022] [Accepted: 05/23/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Descemet stripping only (DSO, descemetorhexis without endothelial keratoplasty) is increasing in clinical use but can impose long recovery times. The objective of this research was to determine whether TTHX1114, an engineered analog of FGF1, could accelerate healing in corneas after DSO. METHODS Corneas obtained from eye banks were placed into suspension culture and subjected to DSO with a procedure comparable with that used clinically. The healing of the stripped area and the regeneration of the corneal endothelial cell (CEC) layer were evaluated intermittently for 14 days using trypan blue staining, alizarin red staining, and immunohistochemistry. RESULTS Corneas subjected to DSO showed about 30% of the stripped area healed after 14 days in culture while those treated with TTHX1114 healed 81%. The healed area was similar in both normal corneas and corneas judged by the eye banks to be dystrophic. The regeneration of the endothelial layer in the stripped area was substantially more complete in TTHX1114-treated corneas, most of which demonstrated a contiguous monolayer of CECs expressing ZO-1 at the cell-cell junctions. In corneas not subject to DSO, incorporation of EdU, a marker of proliferation, was stimulated by TTHX1114 treatment. CONCLUSIONS The corneal organ culture model recapitulated clinical observations of DSO, only with much more rapid recovery. Within the immediate postsurgical time frame of 2 weeks, treatment with TTHX1114 stimulated near-total regeneration of the CEC layer, suggesting that TTHX1114 may be useful as an adjunct to DSO.
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Demura TA, Fisenko NV, Osipyan GA, Afonina MA. [Corneal changes in Fuchs endothelial corneal dystrophy and bullous keratopathy]. Arkh Patol 2023; 85:29-35. [PMID: 37814847 DOI: 10.17116/patol20238505129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/11/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Evaluation of structural and immunohistochemical features of cornea in Fuchs endothelial corneal dystrophy (FECD) and bullous keratopathy (BK). MATERIAL AND METHODS Group 1 - 44 patients (46 eyes) with FECD, group 2 - 42 patients (42 eyes) with BK. All patients underwent keratoplasty. Preoperative anterior segment optical coherence tomography (AS-OCT, RTVue-100, Optovue, USA) was performed. Endothelium-Descemet membrane (EDM) complexes, corneal buttons were obtained intraoperatively. Morphological (H&E staining) and immunohistochemical (primary antibodies to pancytokeratin, vimentin, fibronectin) studies were performed at the light microscope level (Leica DM-2500, Leica Application Suite V4.8, Leica Microsystems, Switzerland). RESULTS A direct correlation is found between the results of DM analysis in vivo with OCT and ex vivo with light microscopy. DM thickness (AS-OCT) was significantly greater in FECD (23.0 [19.0; 27.0] μm), than in BK (13.0 [12.0; 14.0] μm). Morphological study of EDM and corneal buttons showed similar difference in DM thickness: 17.9 [16.1; 20.0] μm in FECD and 11.9 [11.3; 13.0] μm in BK. Irregular optical density of stroma is a feature of edema and local fibrosis. In FECD and BK pancytokeratin is expressed in epithelial and endothelial cells, vimentin - in keratocytes, macrophages and vascular endothelium, fibronectin - in DM. In FECD, vimentin is expressed in endothelial cells. CONCLUSION FECD and BK are associated with different DM' and endothelium' abnormalities, which lead to similar changes of stroma and epithelium. AS-OCT is a useful method of FECD and BK in vivo diagnostics and the selection of treatment option.
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Affiliation(s)
- T A Demura
- I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Moscow, Russia
| | - N V Fisenko
- M.M. Krasnov Research Institute of Eye Diseases, Moscow, Russia
| | - G A Osipyan
- M.M. Krasnov Research Institute of Eye Diseases, Moscow, Russia
| | - M A Afonina
- I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Moscow, Russia
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MiR-302a Regenerates Human Corneal Endothelial Cells against IFN-γ-Induced Cell Death. Cells 2022; 12:cells12010036. [PMID: 36611829 PMCID: PMC9818234 DOI: 10.3390/cells12010036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2022] [Revised: 12/08/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Damage to human corneal endothelial cells (hCECs) leads to bullous keratopathy because these cells cannot be regenerated in vivo. In this study, we investigated the protective role of microRNA (miR)-302a against interferon-γ (IFN-γ)-induced senescence and cell death of hCECs. Cultured hCECs were transfected with miR-302a and treated with IFN-γ (20 ng/mL) to evaluate the protective effect of miR-302a on IFN-γ-induced cell death. Senescence was evaluated by the senescence-associated β-galactosidase (SA-β-gal) assay, and the secretion of senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) factors was analyzed. Mitochondrial function and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress were assessed. We revealed that miR-302a enhanced the cell viability and proliferation of hCECs and that IFN-γ increased the cell size, the number of SA-β-gal-positive cells, and SASP factors, and arrested the cell cycle, which was eliminated by miR-302a. miR-302a ameliorated mitochondrial oxidative stress and ER stress levels which were induced by IFN-γ. IFN-γ decreased the mitochondrial membrane potential and promoted autophagy, which was eliminated by miR-302a. The in vivo study showed that regeneration of rat CECs was promoted in the miR-302a group by inhibiting IFN-γ and enhancing mitochondrial function. In conclusion, miR-302a eliminated IFN-γ-induced senescence and cellular damage by regulating the oxidative and ER stress, and promoting the proliferation of CECs. Therefore, miR-302a may be a therapeutic option to protect hCECs against IFN-γ-induced stress.
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Matysik-Woźniak A, Wnorowski A, Turski WA, Jóźwiak K, Rejdak R, Jünemann A. Evidence against involvement of kynurenate branch of kynurenine pathway in pathophysiology of Fuchs' dystrophy and keratoconus. Exp Eye Res 2022; 216:108959. [PMID: 35074345 DOI: 10.1016/j.exer.2022.108959] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2021] [Revised: 01/05/2022] [Accepted: 01/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Kynurenine aminotransferases (KAT) are enzymes catalyzing formation of kynurenic acid (KYNA) from kynurenine. KYNA is a Janus-faced molecule of high biological activity. On the one hand KYNA was identified as a UV filter and neuroprotectant with free radical scavenging properties, but on the other hand it may contribute to photodamage of lens proteins resulting in cataract formation. Fuchs endothelial corneal dystrophy (FECD) and keratoconus (KC) are common, vision threatening corneal dystrophies whose etiology is not fully understood. In our previous works, we confirmed the presence of KATs in the human cornea together with GPR35, a receptor for KYNA. This prompted us to investigate the potential changes in the expression of three isoforms: KAT I, KAT II, and KAT III in normal and FECD- and KC-affected corneas. Immunohistochemistry accompanied by gene expression data mining revealed that the levels of neither KAT I, KAT II, nor KAT III are affected in FECD and KC. This constitutes evidence against the involvement of KATs in the pathophysiology of FECD and KC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Matysik-Woźniak
- Department of General Ophthalmology, Medical University of Lublin, Chmielna 1, 20-079, Lublin, Poland.
| | - Artur Wnorowski
- Department of Biopharmacy, Medical University of Lublin, Chodźki 4A, 20-093, Lublin, Poland.
| | - Waldemar A Turski
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology, Medical University of Lublin, K. Jaczewskiego 8b, 20-090, Lublin, Poland.
| | - Krzysztof Jóźwiak
- Department of Biopharmacy, Medical University of Lublin, Chodźki 4A, 20-093, Lublin, Poland.
| | - Robert Rejdak
- Department of General Ophthalmology, Medical University of Lublin, Chmielna 1, 20-079, Lublin, Poland.
| | - Anselm Jünemann
- Department of General Ophthalmology, Medical University of Lublin, Chmielna 1, 20-079, Lublin, Poland.
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Kuot A, Corbett MA, Mills RA, Snibson G, Wiffen S, Loh R, Burdon KP, Craig JE, Sharma S. Differential gene expression analysis of corneal endothelium indicates involvement of phagocytic activity in Fuchs' endothelial corneal dystrophy. Exp Eye Res 2021; 210:108692. [PMID: 34228965 DOI: 10.1016/j.exer.2021.108692] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2020] [Revised: 05/31/2021] [Accepted: 06/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Fuchs' endothelial corneal dystrophy (FECD) is a progressive vision impairing disease caused by thickening of Descemet's membrane and gradual degeneration and loss of corneal endothelial cells. The aim of this study was to identify differentially expressed genes between FECD-affected and unaffected corneal endothelium to gain insight into the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying this disease. Microarray gene expression analysis was performed on total RNA from FECD-affected and unaffected corneal endothelium-Descemet's membrane (CE-DM) specimens using the Illumina HumanHT-12 v4.0 expression array. RNA from pools of FECD-affected (n = 3 per pool) and individual unaffected (n = 3) specimens was used for comparison. Altered expression of a sub-set of differentially expressed genes was validated by quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) in independent specimens. Bioinformatics analysis was performed using InnateDB to reveal functional relationships among the differentially expressed genes and molecular pathways involved in the disease. A total of 16,513 genes were found expressed in the corneal endothelium of which 142 genes were differentially expressed between FECD-affected and unaffected endothelium (log2 fold-change ≥1.5, corrected p-value ≤0.05). Most of the genes were up-regulated (126) and a small proportion down-regulated (16) in affected corneal endothelium. Of the twelve genes prioritised for validation, differential expression of 10 genes, including those ranked 57th and 81st by significance validated by qRT-PCR (8 up-regulated and 2 downregulated, corrected p ≤ 0.05), one gene showed a trend for up-regulation in affected endothelium, consistent with the microarray analysis and another was up-regulated in an independent study indicating robustness of the differential expression dataset. Bioinformatic analysis revealed significant over-representation of differentially expressed genes in extracellular matrix reorganisation, cellular remodelling, immune response, and inflammation. Network analysis showed functional inter-relatedness of the majority of the dysregulated genes and revealed known direct functional relationships between 20 of the genes; many of these genes have roles in macrophage differentiation, phagocytosis and inflammation. This is the second report of microarray gene expression analysis in FECD. This study revealed a set of highly dysregulated genes in the corneal endothelium in FECD. More than a third of the dysregulated genes in the disease have been discovered for the first time and thus are novel. The dysregulated genes strongly suggest the presence of phagocytic cells, most likely immune cells, and inflammation in corneal endothelium in the disease. This study provides a molecular framework for delineating the mechanisms underlying these cellular processes in FECD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abraham Kuot
- Department of Ophthalmology, Flinders University, Bedford Park, SA, 5042, Australia
| | - Mark A Corbett
- Adelaide Medical School and Robinson Research Institute, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, 5042, Australia
| | - Richard A Mills
- Department of Ophthalmology, Flinders University, Bedford Park, SA, 5042, Australia
| | - Grant Snibson
- Centre for Eye Research Australia, Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, East Melbourne, VIC, 3002, Australia
| | - Steven Wiffen
- The Lions Eye Bank of Western Australia, Lions Eye Institute, Nedlands, WA, 6009, Australia
| | - Raymond Loh
- Department of Ophthalmology, Flinders University, Bedford Park, SA, 5042, Australia
| | - Kathryn P Burdon
- Department of Ophthalmology, Flinders University, Bedford Park, SA, 5042, Australia; Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, 7000, Australia
| | - Jamie E Craig
- Department of Ophthalmology, Flinders University, Bedford Park, SA, 5042, Australia
| | - Shiwani Sharma
- Department of Ophthalmology, Flinders University, Bedford Park, SA, 5042, Australia.
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7
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Cui Z, Zeng Q, Guo Y, Liu S, Wang P, Xie M, Chen J. Pathological molecular mechanism of symptomatic late-onset Fuchs endothelial corneal dystrophy by bioinformatic analysis. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0197750. [PMID: 29787599 PMCID: PMC5963778 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0197750] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2018] [Accepted: 05/08/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Fuchs endothelial corneal dystrophy (FECD) is a degenerative disease characterized by corneal endothelial decompensation. FECD causes corneal stromal and epithelial edema and progressively develops into bullous keratopathy, which can eventually lead to blindness. However, the exact pathogenesis is unknown. In this study, we performed an in-depth bioinformatic analysis of the dataset GSE74123 to determine the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) of symptomatic late-onset FECD compared with a normal control. Gene ontology (GO) terms and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways analysis were used to analyze the pathological molecular mechanism of FECD. We found that cell senescence, reactive oxygen species (ROS), the extracellular matrix (ECM), epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and immune response-related genes play an important role in the pathological development of symptomatic late-onset FECD. In addition, we revealed that down-regulated IL-6, enhanced NF-κB activity and a suite of orchestrated chemokine responses induce fibrocyte differentiation from monocyte to dendritic cell maturation. PI3K plays a key role in the molecular mechanism of symptomatic late-onset FECD. This study enhances our understanding of the molecular mechanism of FECD pathogenesis and will improve the diagnostics and therapy of FECD patients in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zekai Cui
- Key Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine, Ministry of Education, Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P.R. China
| | - Qiaolang Zeng
- The Department of Ophthalmology, the First Clinical Medical College, Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P.R. China
| | - Yonglong Guo
- Key Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine, Ministry of Education, Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P.R. China
| | - Shiwei Liu
- The Department of Ophthalmology, the First Clinical Medical College, Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P.R. China
| | - Peiyuan Wang
- The Department of Ophthalmology, the First Clinical Medical College, Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P.R. China
| | - Mengyuan Xie
- Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Information and Sensing Technologies of Guangdong Higher Educational Institutes, Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P.R. China
| | - Jiansu Chen
- Key Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine, Ministry of Education, Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P.R. China
- The Department of Ophthalmology, the First Clinical Medical College, Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P.R. China
- Institute of Ophthalmology, Medical College, Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P.R. China
- * E-mail:
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Wagoner MD, Bohrer LR, Aldrich BT, Greiner MA, Mullins RF, Worthington KS, Tucker BA, Wiley LA. Feeder-free differentiation of cells exhibiting characteristics of corneal endothelium from human induced pluripotent stem cells. Biol Open 2018; 7:bio032102. [PMID: 29685994 PMCID: PMC5992532 DOI: 10.1242/bio.032102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2017] [Accepted: 04/11/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to devise a strategy for the derivation of corneal endothelial cells (CEnCs) from adult fibroblast-derived induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). IPSCs were generated from an adult human with normal ocular history via expression of OCT4, SOX2, KLF4 and c-MYC Neural crest cells (NCCs) were differentiated from iPSCs via addition of CHIR99021 and SB4315542. NCCs were driven toward a CEnC fate via addition of B27, PDGF-BB and DKK-2 to CEnC media. Differentiation of NCCs and CEnCs was evaluated via rt-PCR, morphological and immunocytochemical analysis. At 17 days post-NCC induction, there were notable changes in cell morphology and upregulation of the neural crest lineage transcripts PAX3, SOX9, TFAP2A, SOX10 and p75NTR and the proteins p75/NGFR and SOX10. Exposure of NCCs to B27, PDGF-BB and DKK-2 induced a shift in morphology from a spindle-shaped neural phenotype to a tightly-packed hexagonal appearance and increased expression of the transcripts ATP1A1, COL8A1, COL8A2, AQP1 and CDH2 and the proteins ZO-1, N-Cad, AQP-1 and Na+/K+ATPase. Replacement of NCC media with CEnC media on day 3, 5 or 8 reduced the differentiation time needed to yield CEnCs. IPSC-derived CEnCs could be used for evaluation of cornea endothelial disease pathophysiology and for testing of novel therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael D Wagoner
- Cornea Research Unit, Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
- Institute for Vision Research, Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
| | - Laura R Bohrer
- Cornea Research Unit, Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
- Institute for Vision Research, Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
| | - Benjamin T Aldrich
- Institute for Vision Research, Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
- Iowa Lions Eye Bank, Coralville, IA 52241, USA
| | - Mark A Greiner
- Cornea Research Unit, Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
- Institute for Vision Research, Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
- Iowa Lions Eye Bank, Coralville, IA 52241, USA
| | - Robert F Mullins
- Institute for Vision Research, Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
| | - Kristan S Worthington
- Institute for Vision Research, Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
| | - Budd A Tucker
- Institute for Vision Research, Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
| | - Luke A Wiley
- Cornea Research Unit, Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
- Institute for Vision Research, Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
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