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Spirig SE, Renner M. Toward Retinal Organoids in High-Throughput. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Med 2024; 14:a041275. [PMID: 37217280 PMCID: PMC10910359 DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a041275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Human retinal organoids recapitulate the cellular diversity, arrangement, gene expression, and functional aspects of the human retina. Protocols to generate human retinal organoids from pluripotent stem cells are typically labor intensive, include many manual handling steps, and the organoids need to be maintained for several months until they mature. To generate large numbers of human retinal organoids for therapy development and screening purposes, scaling up retinal organoid production, maintenance, and analysis is of utmost importance. In this review, we discuss strategies to increase the number of high-quality retinal organoids while reducing manual handling steps. We further review different approaches to analyze thousands of retinal organoids with currently available technologies and point to challenges that still await to be overcome both in culture and analysis of retinal organoids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan Erich Spirig
- Institute of Molecular and Clinical Ophthalmology Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Magdalena Renner
- Institute of Molecular and Clinical Ophthalmology Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
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2
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Bai J, Koos DS, Stepanian K, Fouladian Z, Shayler DWH, Aparicio JG, Fraser SE, Moats RA, Cobrinik D. Episodic live imaging of cone photoreceptor maturation in GNAT2-EGFP retinal organoids. Dis Model Mech 2023; 16:dmm050193. [PMID: 37902188 PMCID: PMC10690052 DOI: 10.1242/dmm.050193] [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: 03/20/2023] [Accepted: 10/12/2023] [Indexed: 10/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Fluorescent reporter pluripotent stem cell-derived retinal organoids are powerful tools to investigate cell type-specific development and disease phenotypes. When combined with live imaging, they enable direct and repeated observation of cell behaviors within a developing retinal tissue. Here, we generated a human cone photoreceptor reporter line by CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing of WTC11-mTagRFPT-LMNB1 human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) by inserting enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) coding sequences and a 2A self-cleaving peptide at the N-terminus of guanine nucleotide-binding protein subunit alpha transducin 2 (GNAT2). In retinal organoids generated from these iPSCs, the GNAT2-EGFP alleles robustly and exclusively labeled immature and mature cones. Episodic confocal live imaging of hydrogel immobilized retinal organoids allowed tracking of the morphological maturation of individual cones for >18 weeks and revealed inner segment accumulation of mitochondria and growth at 12.2 μm3 per day from day 126 to day 153. Immobilized GNAT2-EGFP cone reporter organoids provide a valuable tool for investigating human cone development and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinlun Bai
- The Vision Center, Department of Surgery, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90027, USA
- The Saban Research Institute, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90027, USA
- Development, Stem Cell, and Regenerative Medicine Program, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
| | - David S. Koos
- The Saban Research Institute, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90027, USA
- Translational Biomedical Imaging Laboratory, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90027, USA
- Department of Radiology, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90027, USA
| | - Kayla Stepanian
- The Vision Center, Department of Surgery, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90027, USA
- The Saban Research Institute, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90027, USA
| | - Zachary Fouladian
- The Vision Center, Department of Surgery, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90027, USA
- The Saban Research Institute, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90027, USA
- Development, Stem Cell, and Regenerative Medicine Program, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
| | - Dominic W. H. Shayler
- The Vision Center, Department of Surgery, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90027, USA
- The Saban Research Institute, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90027, USA
- Development, Stem Cell, and Regenerative Medicine Program, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
| | - Jennifer G. Aparicio
- The Vision Center, Department of Surgery, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90027, USA
- The Saban Research Institute, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90027, USA
| | - Scott E. Fraser
- The Saban Research Institute, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90027, USA
- Translational Biomedical Imaging Laboratory, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90027, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Viterbi School of Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
- Translational Imaging Center, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Rex A. Moats
- The Saban Research Institute, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90027, USA
- Translational Biomedical Imaging Laboratory, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90027, USA
- Department of Radiology, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90027, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Viterbi School of Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - David Cobrinik
- The Vision Center, Department of Surgery, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90027, USA
- The Saban Research Institute, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90027, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology and Roski Eye Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
- Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
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3
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Kandoi S, Lamba DA. Retinal Organoids: A Human Model System for Development, Diseases, and Therapies. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2023; 1415:549-554. [PMID: 37440085 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-27681-1_80] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/14/2023]
Abstract
Inherited retinal degenerations (IRD) encompasses a group of heterogeneous disorders causing debilitating visual diseases and blindness, affecting more than two million people worldwide, in all age groups. The inheritance patterns vary from autosomal dominant, autosomal recessive, X-linked, and sporadic with mutations in over 260 genes identified to date. Despite the significant advances in clinical diagnosis, there is no effective treatment available. Human-induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSC) derived in vitro 3D retinal organoids offer a powerful preclinical tool to investigate the molecular mechanism(s) of inherited diseases. Organoids have the potential for the development of personalized therapies by modeling the disease-specific and patient-specific IRD. This mini-review will elaborate on the utility of the advanced culture model system by focusing on staging the in vitro human retinogenesis, modeling retinal diseases, and as a tool for testing potential therapeutic approaches to restore or prevent vision loss in affected individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sangeetha Kandoi
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
- Eli & Edythe Broad Center for Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
| | - Deepak A Lamba
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Eli & Edythe Broad Center for Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
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4
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Benati D, Leung A, Perdigao P, Toulis V, van der Spuy J, Recchia A. Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells and Genome-Editing Tools in Determining Gene Function and Therapy for Inherited Retinal Disorders. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms232315276. [PMID: 36499601 PMCID: PMC9735568 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232315276] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2022] [Revised: 11/25/2022] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Inherited retinal disorders (IRDs) affect millions of people worldwide and are a major cause of irreversible blindness. Therapies based on drugs, gene augmentation or transplantation approaches have been widely investigated and proposed. Among gene therapies for retinal degenerative diseases, the fast-evolving genome-editing CRISPR/Cas technology has emerged as a new potential treatment. The CRISPR/Cas system has been developed as a powerful genome-editing tool in ophthalmic studies and has been applied not only to gain proof of principle for gene therapies in vivo, but has also been extensively used in basic research to model diseases-in-a-dish. Indeed, the CRISPR/Cas technology has been exploited to genetically modify human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) to model retinal disorders in vitro, to test in vitro drugs and therapies and to provide a cell source for autologous transplantation. In this review, we will focus on the technological advances in iPSC-based cellular reprogramming and gene editing technologies to create human in vitro models that accurately recapitulate IRD mechanisms towards the development of treatments for retinal degenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Benati
- Centre for Regenerative Medicine, Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 41125 Modena, Italy
| | - Amy Leung
- UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, London EC1V 9EL, UK
| | - Pedro Perdigao
- Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal
| | | | | | - Alessandra Recchia
- Centre for Regenerative Medicine, Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 41125 Modena, Italy
- Correspondence: (J.v.d.S.); (A.R.)
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5
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Cvekl A, Camerino MJ. Generation of Lens Progenitor Cells and Lentoid Bodies from Pluripotent Stem Cells: Novel Tools for Human Lens Development and Ocular Disease Etiology. Cells 2022; 11:cells11213516. [PMID: 36359912 PMCID: PMC9658148 DOI: 10.3390/cells11213516] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2022] [Revised: 10/31/2022] [Accepted: 11/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
In vitro differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) into specialized tissues and organs represents a powerful approach to gain insight into those cellular and molecular mechanisms regulating human development. Although normal embryonic eye development is a complex process, generation of ocular organoids and specific ocular tissues from pluripotent stem cells has provided invaluable insights into the formation of lineage-committed progenitor cell populations, signal transduction pathways, and self-organization principles. This review provides a comprehensive summary of recent advances in generation of adenohypophyseal, olfactory, and lens placodes, lens progenitor cells and three-dimensional (3D) primitive lenses, "lentoid bodies", and "micro-lenses". These cells are produced alone or "community-grown" with other ocular tissues. Lentoid bodies/micro-lenses generated from human patients carrying mutations in crystallin genes demonstrate proof-of-principle that these cells are suitable for mechanistic studies of cataractogenesis. Taken together, current and emerging advanced in vitro differentiation methods pave the road to understand molecular mechanisms of cataract formation caused by the entire spectrum of mutations in DNA-binding regulatory genes, such as PAX6, SOX2, FOXE3, MAF, PITX3, and HSF4, individual crystallins, and other genes such as BFSP1, BFSP2, EPHA2, GJA3, GJA8, LIM2, MIP, and TDRD7 represented in human cataract patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleš Cvekl
- Departments Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
- Department of Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-718-430-3217; Fax: +1-718-430-8778
| | - Michael John Camerino
- Departments Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
- Department of Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
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6
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Jones MK, Agarwal D, Mazo KW, Chopra M, Jurlina SL, Dash N, Xu Q, Ogata AR, Chow M, Hill AD, Kambli NK, Xu G, Sasik R, Birmingham A, Fisch KM, Weinreb RN, Enke RA, Skowronska-Krawczyk D, Wahlin KJ. Chromatin Accessibility and Transcriptional Differences in Human Stem Cell-Derived Early-Stage Retinal Organoids. Cells 2022; 11:3412. [PMID: 36359808 PMCID: PMC9657268 DOI: 10.3390/cells11213412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2022] [Revised: 10/19/2022] [Accepted: 10/21/2022] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Retinogenesis involves the specification of retinal cell types during early vertebrate development. While model organisms have been critical for determining the role of dynamic chromatin and cell-type specific transcriptional networks during this process, an enhanced understanding of the developing human retina has been more elusive due to the requirement for human fetal tissue. Pluripotent stem cell (PSC) derived retinal organoids offer an experimentally accessible solution for investigating the developing human retina. To investigate cellular and molecular changes in developing early retinal organoids, we developed SIX6-GFP and VSX2-tdTomato (or VSX2-h2b-mRuby3) dual fluorescent reporters. When differentiated as 3D organoids these expressed GFP at day 15 and tdTomato (or mRuby3) at day 25, respectively. This enabled us to explore transcriptional and chromatin related changes using RNA-seq and ATAC-seq from pluripotency through early retina specification. Pathway analysis of developing organoids revealed a stepwise loss of pluripotency, while optic vesicle and retina pathways became progressively more prevalent. Correlating gene transcription with chromatin accessibility in early eye field development showed that retinal cells underwent a clear change in chromatin landscape, as well as gene expression profiles. While each dataset alone provided valuable information, considering both in parallel provided an informative glimpse into the molecular nature eye development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa K. Jones
- Viterbi Family Department of Ophthalmology, Shiley Eye Institute, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Devansh Agarwal
- Viterbi Family Department of Ophthalmology, Shiley Eye Institute, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Kevin W. Mazo
- Viterbi Family Department of Ophthalmology, Shiley Eye Institute, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Manan Chopra
- Viterbi Family Department of Ophthalmology, Shiley Eye Institute, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Shawna L. Jurlina
- Viterbi Family Department of Ophthalmology, Shiley Eye Institute, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Nicholas Dash
- Viterbi Family Department of Ophthalmology, Shiley Eye Institute, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Qianlan Xu
- Center for Translational Vision Research, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92617, USA
| | - Anna R. Ogata
- Viterbi Family Department of Ophthalmology, Shiley Eye Institute, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Melissa Chow
- Viterbi Family Department of Ophthalmology, Shiley Eye Institute, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Alex D. Hill
- Viterbi Family Department of Ophthalmology, Shiley Eye Institute, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Netra K. Kambli
- Viterbi Family Department of Ophthalmology, Shiley Eye Institute, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
- Department of Biotechnology, California State University Channel Islands, Camarillo, CA 93012, USA
| | - Guorong Xu
- Center for Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Roman Sasik
- Center for Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Amanda Birmingham
- Center for Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Kathleen M. Fisch
- Center for Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Robert N. Weinreb
- Viterbi Family Department of Ophthalmology, Shiley Eye Institute, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Ray A. Enke
- Department of Biology, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA 22807, USA
| | | | - Karl J. Wahlin
- Viterbi Family Department of Ophthalmology, Shiley Eye Institute, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
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7
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Gasparini SJ, Tessmer K, Reh M, Wieneke S, Carido M, Völkner M, Borsch O, Swiersy A, Zuzic M, Goureau O, Kurth T, Busskamp V, Zeck G, Karl MO, Ader M. Transplanted human cones incorporate and function in a murine cone degeneration model. J Clin Invest 2022; 132:154619. [PMID: 35482419 PMCID: PMC9197520 DOI: 10.1172/jci154619] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2021] [Accepted: 04/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Once human photoreceptors die, they do not regenerate, thus, photoreceptor transplantation has emerged as a potential treatment approach for blinding diseases. Improvements in transplant organization, donor cell maturation, and synaptic connectivity to the host will be critical in advancing this technology for use in clinical practice. Unlike the unstructured grafts of prior cell-suspension transplantations into end-stage degeneration models, we describe the extensive incorporation of induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) retinal organoid–derived human photoreceptors into mice with cone dysfunction. This incorporative phenotype was validated in both cone-only as well as pan-photoreceptor transplantations. Rather than forming a glial barrier, Müller cells extended throughout the graft, even forming a series of adherens junctions between mouse and human cells, reminiscent of an outer limiting membrane. Donor-host interaction appeared to promote polarization as well as the development of morphological features critical for light detection, namely the formation of inner and well-stacked outer segments oriented toward the retinal pigment epithelium. Putative synapse formation and graft function were evident at both structural and electrophysiological levels. Overall, these results show that human photoreceptors interacted readily with a partially degenerated retina. Moreover, incorporation into the host retina appeared to be beneficial to graft maturation, polarization, and function.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Karen Tessmer
- Ader Lab, Center for Regenerative Therapies TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Miriam Reh
- Department of Neurophysics, NMI Natural and Medical Sciences Institute at the University Tübingen, Reutlingen, Germany
| | - Stephanie Wieneke
- Karl Lab, Center for Regenerative Therapies TU Dresden and German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Madalena Carido
- Ader Lab, Center for Regenerative Therapies TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Manuela Völkner
- Karl Lab, Center for Regenerative Therapies TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Oliver Borsch
- Ader Lab, Center for Regenerative Therapies TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Anka Swiersy
- Busskamp Lab, Center for Regenerative Therapies TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Marta Zuzic
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Olivier Goureau
- Institut de la Vision, INSERM, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
| | - Thomas Kurth
- Center for Molecular and Cellular Biology, Technische Universität (TU) Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Volker Busskamp
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Günther Zeck
- Department of Neurophysics, NMI Natural and Medical Sciences Institute at the University Tübingen, Reutlingen, Germany
| | - Mike O Karl
- Karl Lab, Center for Regenerative Therapies TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Marius Ader
- Ader Lab, Center for Regenerative Therapies TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
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8
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Eldred KC, Reh TA. Human retinal model systems: Strengths, weaknesses, and future directions. Dev Biol 2021; 480:114-122. [PMID: 34529997 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2021.09.001] [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: 01/31/2021] [Revised: 09/01/2021] [Accepted: 09/02/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
The retina is a complex neuronal structure that converts light energy into visual perception. Many specialized aspects of the primate retina, including a cone rich macula for high acuity vision, ocular size, and cell type diversity are not found in other animal models. In addition, the unique morphologies and distinct laminar positions of cell types found in the retina make this model system ideal for the study of neuronal cell fate specification. Many key early events of human retinal development are inaccessible to investigation as they occur during gestation. For these reasons, it has been necessary to develop retinal model systems to gain insight into human-specific retinal development and disease. Recent advances in culturing retinal tissue have generated new systems for retinal research and have moved us closer to generating effective regenerative therapies for vision loss. Here, we describe the strengths, weaknesses, and future directions for different human retinal model systems including dissociated primary tissue, explanted primary tissue, retinospheres, and stem cell-derived retinal organoids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kiara C Eldred
- Department of Biological Structure, Institute for Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Thomas A Reh
- Department of Biological Structure, Institute for Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA.
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9
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Wagstaff EL, Heredero Berzal A, Boon CJF, Quinn PMJ, ten Asbroek ALMA, Bergen AA. The Role of Small Molecules and Their Effect on the Molecular Mechanisms of Early Retinal Organoid Development. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:7081. [PMID: 34209272 PMCID: PMC8268497 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22137081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2021] [Revised: 06/23/2021] [Accepted: 06/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Early in vivo embryonic retinal development is a well-documented and evolutionary conserved process. The specification towards eye development is temporally controlled by consecutive activation or inhibition of multiple key signaling pathways, such as the Wnt and hedgehog signaling pathways. Recently, with the use of retinal organoids, researchers aim to manipulate these pathways to achieve better human representative models for retinal development and disease. To achieve this, a plethora of different small molecules and signaling factors have been used at various time points and concentrations in retinal organoid differentiations, with varying success. Additions differ from protocol to protocol, but their usefulness or efficiency has not yet been systematically reviewed. Interestingly, many of these small molecules affect the same and/or multiple pathways, leading to reduced reproducibility and high variability between studies. In this review, we make an inventory of the key signaling pathways involved in early retinogenesis and their effect on the development of the early retina in vitro. Further, we provide a comprehensive overview of the small molecules and signaling factors that are added to retinal organoid differentiation protocols, documenting the molecular and functional effects of these additions. Lastly, we comparatively evaluate several of these factors using our established retinal organoid methodology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ellie L. Wagstaff
- Department of Human Genetics, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam (UvA), 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands;
| | - Andrea Heredero Berzal
- Department of Ophthalmology, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam (UvA), 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands; (A.H.B.); (C.J.F.B.)
| | - Camiel J. F. Boon
- Department of Ophthalmology, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam (UvA), 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands; (A.H.B.); (C.J.F.B.)
- Department of Ophthalmology, Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC), 2333 ZA Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Peter M. J. Quinn
- Jonas Children’s Vision Care and Bernard & Shirlee Brown Glaucoma Laboratory, Columbia Stem Cell Initiative, Departments of Ophthalmology, Pathology & Cell Biology, Institute of Human Nutrition, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA; Edward S. Harkness Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center—New York-Presbyterian Hospital, New York, NY 10032, USA;
| | | | - Arthur A. Bergen
- Department of Human Genetics, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam (UvA), 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands;
- Department of Ophthalmology, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam (UvA), 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands; (A.H.B.); (C.J.F.B.)
- Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience (NIN-KNAW), 1105 BA Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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10
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Stone NE, Voigt AP, Mullins RF, Sulchek T, Tucker BA. Microfluidic processing of stem cells for autologous cell replacement. Stem Cells Transl Med 2021; 10:1384-1393. [PMID: 34156760 PMCID: PMC8459636 DOI: 10.1002/sctm.21-0080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2021] [Revised: 05/10/2021] [Accepted: 05/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Autologous photoreceptor cell replacement is one of the most promising approaches currently under development for the treatment of inherited retinal degenerative blindness. Unlike endogenous stem cell populations, induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) can be differentiated into both rod and cone photoreceptors in high numbers, making them ideal for this application. That said, in addition to photoreceptor cells, state of the art retinal differentiation protocols give rise to all of the different cell types of the normal retina, the majority of which are not required and may in fact hinder successful photoreceptor cell replacement. As such, following differentiation photoreceptor cell enrichment will likely be required. In addition, to prevent the newly generated photoreceptor cells from suffering the same fate as the patient's original cells, correction of the patient's disease‐causing genetic mutations will be necessary. In this review we discuss literature pertaining to the use of different cell sorting and transfection approaches with a focus on the development and use of novel next generation microfluidic devices. We will discuss how gold standard strategies have been used, the advantages and disadvantages of each, and how novel microfluidic platforms can be incorporated into the clinical manufacturing pipeline to reduce the complexity, cost, and regulatory burden associated with clinical grade production of photoreceptor cells for autologous cell replacement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas E. Stone
- The George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical EngineeringGeorgia Institute of TechnologyAtlantaGeorgiaUSA
| | - Andrew P. Voigt
- Institute for Vision Research, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Carver College of MedicineUniversity of IowaIowa CityIowaUSA
| | - Robert F. Mullins
- Institute for Vision Research, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Carver College of MedicineUniversity of IowaIowa CityIowaUSA
| | - Todd Sulchek
- The George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical EngineeringGeorgia Institute of TechnologyAtlantaGeorgiaUSA
| | - Budd A. Tucker
- Institute for Vision Research, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Carver College of MedicineUniversity of IowaIowa CityIowaUSA
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11
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Zeng Z, Lam PT, Robinson ML, Del Rio-Tsonis K, Saul JM. Design and Characterization of Biomimetic Kerateine Aerogel-Electrospun Polycaprolactone Scaffolds for Retinal Cell Culture. Ann Biomed Eng 2021; 49:1633-1644. [PMID: 33825081 DOI: 10.1007/s10439-021-02756-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2020] [Accepted: 02/18/2021] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a retinal disease that affects 196 million people and causes nearly 9% of blindness worldwide. While several pharmacological approaches slow the effects of AMD, in our opinion, cell-based strategies offer the most likely path to a cure. We describe the design and initial characterization of a kerateine (obtained by reductive extraction from keratin proteins) aerogel-electrospun polycaprolactone fiber scaffold system. The scaffolds mimic key features of the choroid and the Bruch's membrane, which is the basement membrane to which the cells of the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) attach. The scaffolds had elastic moduli of 2-7.2 MPa, a similar range as native choroid and Bruch's membrane. ARPE-19 cells attached to the polycaprolactone fibers, remained viable for one week, and proliferated to form a monolayer reminiscent of that needed for retinal repair. These constructs could serve as a model system for testing cell and/or drug treatment strategies or directing ex vivo retinal tissue formation in the treatment of AMD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ziqian Zeng
- Department of Chemical, Paper and Biomedical Engineering, Miami University, 650 East High Street, Oxford, OH, 45056, USA
| | - Phuong T Lam
- Department of Biology, Miami University, Oxford, OH, USA, 45056
| | - Michael L Robinson
- Department of Biology, Miami University, Oxford, OH, USA, 45056.,Center for Visual Sciences at Miami University (CVSMU), Oxford, OH, USA
| | - Katia Del Rio-Tsonis
- Department of Biology, Miami University, Oxford, OH, USA, 45056.,Center for Visual Sciences at Miami University (CVSMU), Oxford, OH, USA
| | - Justin M Saul
- Department of Chemical, Paper and Biomedical Engineering, Miami University, 650 East High Street, Oxford, OH, 45056, USA.
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O'Hara-Wright M, Gonzalez-Cordero A. Retinal organoids: a window into human retinal development. Development 2020; 147:147/24/dev189746. [PMID: 33361444 PMCID: PMC7774906 DOI: 10.1242/dev.189746] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Retinal development and maturation are orchestrated by a series of interacting signalling networks that drive the morphogenetic transformation of the anterior developing brain. Studies in model organisms continue to elucidate these complex series of events. However, the human retina shows many differences from that of other organisms and the investigation of human eye development now benefits from stem cell-derived organoids. Retinal differentiation methods have progressed from simple 2D adherent cultures to self-organising micro-physiological systems. As models of development, these have collectively offered new insights into the previously unexplored early development of the human retina and informed our knowledge of the key cell fate decisions that govern the specification of light-sensitive photoreceptors. Although the developmental trajectories of other retinal cell types remain more elusive, the collation of omics datasets, combined with advanced culture methodology, will enable modelling of the intricate process of human retinogenesis and retinal disease in vitro. Summary: Retinal organoid systems derived from human pluripotent stem cells are micro-physiological systems that offer new insights into previously unexplored human retina development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle O'Hara-Wright
- Stem Cell Medicine Group, Children's Medical Research Institute, University of Sydney, Westmead, 2145, NSW, Australia.,School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Westmead, 2145, NSW, Australia
| | - Anai Gonzalez-Cordero
- Stem Cell Medicine Group, Children's Medical Research Institute, University of Sydney, Westmead, 2145, NSW, Australia .,School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Westmead, 2145, NSW, Australia
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