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Zhang CJ, Mou H, Yuan J, Wang YH, Sun SN, Wang W, Xu ZH, Yu SJ, Jin K, Jin ZB. Effects of fluorescent protein tdTomato on mouse retina. Exp Eye Res 2024; 243:109910. [PMID: 38663720 DOI: 10.1016/j.exer.2024.109910] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2023] [Revised: 02/26/2024] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/30/2024]
Abstract
Fluorescent proteins (FPs) have been widely used to investigate cellular and molecular interactions and trace biological events in many applications. Some of the FPs have been demonstrated to cause undesirable cellular damage by light-induced ROS production in vivo or in vitro. However, it remains unknown if one of the most popular FPs, tdTomato, has similar effects in neuronal cells. In this study, we discovered that tdTomato expression led to unexpected retinal dysfunction and ultrastructural defects in the transgenic mouse retina. The retinal dysfunction mainly manifested in the reduced photopic electroretinogram (ERG) responses and decreased contrast sensitivity in visual acuity, caused by mitochondrial damages characterized with cellular redistribution, morphological modifications and molecular profiling alterations. Taken together, our findings for the first time demonstrated the retinal dysfunction and ultrastructural defects in the retinas of tdTomato-transgenic mice, calling for a more careful design and interpretation of experiments involved in FPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chang-Jun Zhang
- Beijing Institute of Ophthalmology, Beijing Tongren Eye Center, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing Ophthalmology & Visual Science Key Laboratory, Beijing, 100730, China
| | - Hao Mou
- Beijing Institute of Ophthalmology, Beijing Tongren Eye Center, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing Ophthalmology & Visual Science Key Laboratory, Beijing, 100730, China
| | - Jing Yuan
- Beijing Institute of Ophthalmology, Beijing Tongren Eye Center, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing Ophthalmology & Visual Science Key Laboratory, Beijing, 100730, China
| | - Ya-Han Wang
- Beijing Institute of Ophthalmology, Beijing Tongren Eye Center, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing Ophthalmology & Visual Science Key Laboratory, Beijing, 100730, China
| | - Shu-Ning Sun
- Beijing Institute of Ophthalmology, Beijing Tongren Eye Center, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing Ophthalmology & Visual Science Key Laboratory, Beijing, 100730, China
| | - Wen Wang
- Beijing Institute of Ophthalmology, Beijing Tongren Eye Center, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing Ophthalmology & Visual Science Key Laboratory, Beijing, 100730, China
| | - Ze-Hua Xu
- Beijing Institute of Ophthalmology, Beijing Tongren Eye Center, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing Ophthalmology & Visual Science Key Laboratory, Beijing, 100730, China
| | - Si-Jian Yu
- Beijing Institute of Ophthalmology, Beijing Tongren Eye Center, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing Ophthalmology & Visual Science Key Laboratory, Beijing, 100730, China
| | - Kangxin Jin
- Beijing Institute of Ophthalmology, Beijing Tongren Eye Center, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing Ophthalmology & Visual Science Key Laboratory, Beijing, 100730, China.
| | - Zi-Bing Jin
- Beijing Institute of Ophthalmology, Beijing Tongren Eye Center, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing Ophthalmology & Visual Science Key Laboratory, Beijing, 100730, China.
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2
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Westhaus A, Eamegdool SS, Fernando M, Fuller-Carter P, Brunet AA, Miller AL, Rashwan R, Knight M, Daniszewski M, Lidgerwood GE, Pébay A, Hewitt A, Santilli G, Thrasher AJ, Carvalho LS, Gonzalez-Cordero A, Jamieson RV, Lisowski L. AAV capsid bioengineering in primary human retina models. Sci Rep 2023; 13:21946. [PMID: 38081924 PMCID: PMC10713676 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-49112-2] [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: 08/24/2023] [Accepted: 12/04/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Adeno-associated viral (AAV) vector-mediated retinal gene therapy is an active field of both pre-clinical as well as clinical research. As with other gene therapy clinical targets, novel bioengineered AAV variants developed by directed evolution or rational design to possess unique desirable properties, are entering retinal gene therapy translational programs. However, it is becoming increasingly evident that predictive preclinical models are required to develop and functionally validate these novel AAVs prior to clinical studies. To investigate if, and to what extent, primary retinal explant culture could be used for AAV capsid development, this study performed a large high-throughput screen of 51 existing AAV capsids in primary human retina explants and other models of the human retina. Furthermore, we applied transgene expression-based directed evolution to develop novel capsids for more efficient transduction of primary human retina cells and compared the top variants to the strongest existing benchmarks identified in the screening described above. A direct side-by-side comparison of the newly developed capsids in four different in vitro and ex vivo model systems of the human retina allowed us to identify novel AAV variants capable of high transgene expression in primary human retina cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrian Westhaus
- Translational Vectorology Research Unit, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Children's Medical Research Institute, The University of Sydney, Westmead, Australia
- Infection, Immunity and Inflammation Teaching and Research Department, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK
- Genethon, Evry, France
| | - Steven S Eamegdool
- Eye Genetics Research Unit, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Children's Medical Research Institute and Sydney Children's Hospitals Network, The University of Sydney, Westmead, Australia
| | - Milan Fernando
- Stem Cell and Organoid Facility, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Children's Medical Research Institute, The University of Sydney, Westmead, Australia
| | | | - Alicia A Brunet
- Centre for Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Nedlands, Australia
| | - Annie L Miller
- Centre for Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Nedlands, Australia
| | | | - Maddison Knight
- Translational Vectorology Research Unit, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Children's Medical Research Institute, The University of Sydney, Westmead, Australia
| | - Maciej Daniszewski
- Department of Anatomy and Physiology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Grace E Lidgerwood
- Department of Anatomy and Physiology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Alice Pébay
- Department of Anatomy and Physiology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Department of Surgery, Royal Melbourne Hospital, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Alex Hewitt
- Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Australia
- Centre for Eye Research Australia, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Giorgia Santilli
- Infection, Immunity and Inflammation Teaching and Research Department, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK
| | - Adrian J Thrasher
- Infection, Immunity and Inflammation Teaching and Research Department, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK
| | - Livia S Carvalho
- Lions Eye Institute, Nedlands, Australia
- Centre for Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Nedlands, Australia
| | - Anai Gonzalez-Cordero
- Stem Cell and Organoid Facility, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Children's Medical Research Institute, The University of Sydney, Westmead, Australia
- Stem Cell Medicine Group, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Children's Medical Research Institute, The University of Sydney, Westmead, Australia
| | - Robyn V Jamieson
- Eye Genetics Research Unit, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Children's Medical Research Institute and Sydney Children's Hospitals Network, The University of Sydney, Westmead, Australia
| | - Leszek Lisowski
- Translational Vectorology Research Unit, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Children's Medical Research Institute, The University of Sydney, Westmead, Australia.
- Australian Genome Therapeutics Centre, Children's Medical Research Institute and Sydney Children's Hospitals Network, Westmead, NSW, 2145, Australia.
- Laboratory of Molecular Oncology and Innovative Therapies, Military Institute of Medicine - National Research Institute, Warsaw, Poland.
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Brunet AA, Hunt DM, Mellough C, Harvey AR, Carvalho LS. Compensatory Cone-Mediated Mechanisms in Inherited Retinal Degeneration Mouse Models: A Functional and Gene Expression Analysis. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2023; 1415:347-352. [PMID: 37440055 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-27681-1_50] [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: 07/14/2023]
Abstract
The retina undergoes compensatory changes in response to progressive photoreceptor loss/dysfunction; however, studies of inherited retinal diseases (IRDs) often lack a temporal connection between gene expression and visual function. Here, we used three mouse models of IRD - Cnga3-/-, Pde6ccpfl1, and Rd1 - to investigate over time the effect of photoreceptor degeneration, particularly cones, on visual function and gene expression. Changes to gene expression include increases in cell survival and cell death genes in Pde6ccpfl1 before significant cell loss, as well as an increase in cone-specific genes in the Rd1 at the peak of rod death. We show that Cnga3-/- and Pde6ccpfl1 mice maintained photopic visual acuity via optomotor responses, despite no recordable cone electroretinogram (ERG), while functional measures and photoreceptors loss were correlated in Rd1 mice. There were also significant changes to oscillatory potentials (OPs) in Cnga3-/- and Pde6ccpfl1, implying an effect on inner retinal cells as a result of cone degeneration. These results indicate a potentially malleable retinal environment following cone degeneration; however, further investigation is needed to elucidate how these changes compensate for the loss of cone function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alicia A Brunet
- Centre for Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, Australia.
- Lions Eye Institute Ltd., Nedlands, WA, Australia.
| | - David M Hunt
- Centre for Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, Australia
- Lions Eye Institute Ltd., Nedlands, WA, Australia
| | - Carla Mellough
- Centre for Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, Australia
- Lions Eye Institute Ltd., Nedlands, WA, Australia
| | - Alan R Harvey
- School of Human Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, Australia
- Perron Institute for Neurological and Translational Science, Nedlands, WA, Australia
| | - Livia S Carvalho
- Centre for Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, Australia
- Lions Eye Institute Ltd., Nedlands, WA, Australia
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Miller AL, Fuller-Carter PI, Masarini K, Samardzija M, Carter KW, Rashwan R, Lim XR, Brunet AA, Chopra A, Ram R, Grimm C, Ueffing M, Carvalho LS, Trifunović D. Increased H3K27 trimethylation contributes to cone survival in a mouse model of cone dystrophy. Cell Mol Life Sci 2022; 79:409. [PMID: 35810394 PMCID: PMC9271452 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-022-04436-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2022] [Revised: 06/16/2022] [Accepted: 06/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Inherited retinal diseases (IRDs) are a heterogeneous group of blinding disorders, which result in dysfunction or death of the light-sensing cone and rod photoreceptors. Despite individual IRDs (Inherited retinal disease) being rare, collectively, they affect up to 1:2000 people worldwide, causing a significant socioeconomic burden, especially when cone-mediated central vision is affected. This study uses the Pde6ccpfl1 mouse model of achromatopsia, a cone-specific vision loss IRD (Inherited retinal disease), to investigate the potential gene-independent therapeutic benefits of a histone demethylase inhibitor GSK-J4 on cone cell survival. We investigated the effects of GSK-J4 treatment on cone cell survival in vivo and ex vivo and changes in cone-specific gene expression via single-cell RNA sequencing. A single intravitreal GSK-J4 injection led to transcriptional changes in pathways involved in mitochondrial dysfunction, endoplasmic reticulum stress, among other key epigenetic pathways, highlighting the complex interplay between methylation and acetylation in healthy and diseased cones. Furthermore, continuous administration of GSK-J4 in retinal explants increased cone survival. Our results suggest that IRD (Inherited retinal disease)-affected cones respond positively to epigenetic modulation of histones, indicating the potential of this approach in developing a broad class of novel therapies to slow cone degeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annie L Miller
- Retinal Genomics and Therapy Group, Lions Eye Institute Ltd, 2 Verdun Street, Nedlands, WA, 6009, Australia
- Centre for Ophthalmology and Visual Science, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Hwy, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia
| | - Paula I Fuller-Carter
- Retinal Genomics and Therapy Group, Lions Eye Institute Ltd, 2 Verdun Street, Nedlands, WA, 6009, Australia
| | - Klaudija Masarini
- Institute for Ophthalmic Research, Tübingen University, Elfriede-Aulhorn-Straße 7, 72076, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Marijana Samardzija
- Lab for Retinal Cell Biology, Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital Zürich, University of Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Kim W Carter
- Analytical Computing Solutions, Willetton, WA, 6155, Australia
| | - Rabab Rashwan
- Retinal Genomics and Therapy Group, Lions Eye Institute Ltd, 2 Verdun Street, Nedlands, WA, 6009, Australia
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Minia University, Minia, Egypt
| | - Xin Ru Lim
- Retinal Genomics and Therapy Group, Lions Eye Institute Ltd, 2 Verdun Street, Nedlands, WA, 6009, Australia
- Centre for Ophthalmology and Visual Science, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Hwy, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia
| | - Alicia A Brunet
- Retinal Genomics and Therapy Group, Lions Eye Institute Ltd, 2 Verdun Street, Nedlands, WA, 6009, Australia
- Centre for Ophthalmology and Visual Science, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Hwy, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia
| | - Abha Chopra
- Institute for Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Murdoch University, Murdoch, WA, Australia
- Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Centre, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Ramesh Ram
- Institute for Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Murdoch University, Murdoch, WA, Australia
| | - Christian Grimm
- Lab for Retinal Cell Biology, Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital Zürich, University of Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Marius Ueffing
- Institute for Ophthalmic Research, Tübingen University, Elfriede-Aulhorn-Straße 7, 72076, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Livia S Carvalho
- Retinal Genomics and Therapy Group, Lions Eye Institute Ltd, 2 Verdun Street, Nedlands, WA, 6009, Australia.
- Centre for Ophthalmology and Visual Science, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Hwy, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia.
| | - Dragana Trifunović
- Institute for Ophthalmic Research, Tübingen University, Elfriede-Aulhorn-Straße 7, 72076, Tübingen, Germany.
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Heisterkamp P, Borsch O, Lezama ND, Gasparini S, Fathima A, Carvalho LS, Wagner F, Karl MO, Schlierf M, Ader M. Evidence for endogenous exchange of cytoplasmic material between a subset of cone and rod photoreceptors within the adult mammalian retina via direct cell-cell connections. Exp Eye Res 2022; 219:109033. [DOI: 10.1016/j.exer.2022.109033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2021] [Revised: 03/08/2022] [Accepted: 03/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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Tang F, Ma X, Sun J, Ru M, Qian T, Ji W, Qian S, Li H. Cell-penetrating heme oxygenase-1 in the therapy of atopic dermatitis in mice. Exp Ther Med 2021; 22:941. [PMID: 34306205 PMCID: PMC8281355 DOI: 10.3892/etm.2021.10373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2020] [Accepted: 03/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Atopic dermatitis (AD), also referred to as atopic eczema, is a long-term inflammatory condition that is characterized by itchy, red, swollen and cracked skin. Accumulating evidence suggests that AD is caused by genetic factors, environmental exposure and immune system dysfunction; however, its underlying molecular mechanism remains unclear. Current treatment strategies aim to decrease the severity and frequency of flares. Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) is a nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2)-regulated gene that plays crucial roles against stress, inflammation and oxidation, and exerts cytoprotective effects. Previous studies have reported that treatment of AD induces high expression levels of HO-1 and Nrf2, indicating that HO-1 may play an important role in the treatment of AD. The present study constructed the recombinant protein, cell-penetrating peptide-HO-1 (CPP-HO-1), which was expressed in Escherichia coli and isolated with a 6xHis-tag using HiTrap His column (1 ml). AD was established using 4-dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB) in mice. It was observed that the CPP-HO-1 fusion protein decreased the severity of AD, inhibited scratching in mice and decreased skin inflammation. Taken together, the results of the present study suggested that the CPP-HO-1 fusion protein may play a protective role against DNCB-induced AD in mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fang Tang
- School of Medicine, Huzhou University, Huzhou, Zhejiang 313000, P.R. China
| | - Xueqing Ma
- School of Medicine, Huzhou University, Huzhou, Zhejiang 313000, P.R. China
| | - Jiayu Sun
- School of Medicine, Huzhou University, Huzhou, Zhejiang 313000, P.R. China
| | - Minghui Ru
- School of Medicine, Huzhou University, Huzhou, Zhejiang 313000, P.R. China
| | - Tiansheng Qian
- School of Medicine, Huzhou University, Huzhou, Zhejiang 313000, P.R. China
| | - Wengjing Ji
- School of Medicine, Huzhou University, Huzhou, Zhejiang 313000, P.R. China
| | - Sifan Qian
- School of Medicine, Huzhou University, Huzhou, Zhejiang 313000, P.R. China
| | - Hua Li
- School of Medicine, Huzhou University, Huzhou, Zhejiang 313000, P.R. China
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Jiang X, Rashwan R, Voigt V, Nerbonne J, Hunt DM, Carvalho LS. Molecular, Cellular and Functional Changes in the Retinas of Young Adult Mice Lacking the Voltage-Gated K + Channel Subunits Kv8.2 and K2.1. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:4877. [PMID: 34063002 PMCID: PMC8124447 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22094877] [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: 12/17/2020] [Revised: 04/24/2021] [Accepted: 04/29/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Cone Dystrophy with Supernormal Rod Response (CDSRR) is a rare autosomal recessive disorder leading to severe visual impairment in humans, but little is known about its unique pathophysiology. We have previously shown that CDSRR is caused by mutations in the KCNV2 (Potassium Voltage-Gated Channel Modifier Subfamily V Member 2) gene encoding the Kv8.2 subunit, a modulatory subunit of voltage-gated potassium (Kv) channels. In a recent study, we validated a novel mouse model of Kv8.2 deficiency at a late stage of the disease and showed that it replicates the human electroretinogram (ERG) phenotype. In this current study, we focused our investigation on young adult retinas to look for early markers of disease and evaluate their effect on retinal morphology, electrophysiology and immune response in both the Kv8.2 knockout (KO) mouse and in the Kv2.1 KO mouse, the obligate partner of Kv8.2 in functional retinal Kv channels. By evaluating the severity of retinal dystrophy in these KO models, we demonstrated that retinas of Kv KO mice have significantly higher apoptotic cells, a thinner outer nuclear cell layer and increased activated microglia cells in the subretinal space. Our results indicate that in the murine retina, the loss of Kv8.2 subunits contributes to early cellular and physiological changes leading to retinal dysfunction. These results could have potential implications in the early management of CDSRR despite its relatively nonprogressive nature in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaotian Jiang
- Centre for Ophthalmology and Vision Science, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia; (X.J.); (D.M.H.)
| | - Rabab Rashwan
- Lions Eye Institute, Nedlands, WA 6009, Australia; (R.R.); (V.V.)
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Minia University, Minia 61519, Egypt
| | - Valentina Voigt
- Lions Eye Institute, Nedlands, WA 6009, Australia; (R.R.); (V.V.)
| | - Jeanne Nerbonne
- Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA;
| | - David M. Hunt
- Centre for Ophthalmology and Vision Science, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia; (X.J.); (D.M.H.)
- Lions Eye Institute, Nedlands, WA 6009, Australia; (R.R.); (V.V.)
| | - Livia S. Carvalho
- Centre for Ophthalmology and Vision Science, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia; (X.J.); (D.M.H.)
- Lions Eye Institute, Nedlands, WA 6009, Australia; (R.R.); (V.V.)
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