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Ail D, Nava D, Hwang IP, Brazhnikova E, Nouvel-Jaillard C, Dentel A, Joffrois C, Rousseau L, Dégardin J, Bertin S, Sahel JA, Goureau O, Picaud S, Dalkara D. Inducible nonhuman primate models of retinal degeneration for testing end-stage therapies. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadg8163. [PMID: 37531424 PMCID: PMC10396314 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adg8163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2023] [Accepted: 06/29/2023] [Indexed: 08/04/2023]
Abstract
The anatomical differences between the retinas of humans and most animal models pose a challenge for testing novel therapies. Nonhuman primate (NHP) retina is anatomically closest to the human retina. However, there is a lack of relevant NHP models of retinal degeneration (RD) suitable for preclinical studies. To address this unmet need, we generated three distinct inducible cynomolgus macaque models of RD. We developed two genetically targeted strategies using optogenetics and CRISPR-Cas9 to ablate rods and mimic rod-cone dystrophy. In addition, we created an acute model by physical separation of the photoreceptors and retinal pigment epithelium using a polymer patch. Among the three models, the CRISPR-Cas9-based approach was the most advantageous model in view of recapitulating disease-specific features and its ease of implementation. The acute model, however, resulted in the fastest degeneration, making it the most relevant model for testing end-stage vision restoration therapies such as stem cell transplantation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Divya Ail
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, F-75012 Paris, France
| | - Diane Nava
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, F-75012 Paris, France
| | - In Pyo Hwang
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, F-75012 Paris, France
| | - Elena Brazhnikova
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, F-75012 Paris, France
| | | | - Alexandre Dentel
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, F-75012 Paris, France
- CHNO des Quinze-Vingts, INSERM-DGOS CIC 1423, F-75012 Paris, France
- Department of Ophthalmology, Pitié-Salpêtrière University Hospital, F-75013 Paris, France
| | - Corentin Joffrois
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, F-75012 Paris, France
| | - Lionel Rousseau
- ESYCOM, Université Eiffel, CNRS, CNAM, ESIEE Paris, F-77454 Marne-la-Vallée, France
| | - Julie Dégardin
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, F-75012 Paris, France
| | - Stephane Bertin
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, F-75012 Paris, France
- CHNO des Quinze-Vingts, INSERM-DGOS CIC 1423, F-75012 Paris, France
| | - José-Alain Sahel
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, F-75012 Paris, France
- CHNO des Quinze-Vingts, INSERM-DGOS CIC 1423, F-75012 Paris, France
- Department of Ophthalmology, The University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
- Fondation Ophtalmologique Adolphe de Rothschild, F-75019 Paris, France
| | - Olivier Goureau
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, F-75012 Paris, France
| | - Serge Picaud
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, F-75012 Paris, France
| | - Deniz Dalkara
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, F-75012 Paris, France
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Maeda Y, Takata M, Gomi F. Choroidal Thickness is Increased following Restraint Stress in Rats. Curr Eye Res 2023; 48:506-511. [PMID: 36719150 DOI: 10.1080/02713683.2023.2171067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Central serous chorioretinopathy is a stress-induced disease and often shows pachychoroid; however, the relationship between stress and choroid remains unlear. The purpose of this study was to investigate, using optical coherence tomography, whether the choroid thickens when rats are subjected to restraint stress. METHODS Eight-week-old male F334/Jcl rats were subjected to 30 min of restraint stress, and choroidal thickness was measured before and after stress loading using optical coherence tomography. In addition, salivary corticosterone levels were measured before and after stress loading. RESULTS Choroidal thickness was significantly increased from 30.1 ± 6.4 µm to 39.7 ± 9.2 µm just after stress loading (p = 0.001). Significant choroidal thickening was not observed on the next day. The salivary corticosterone concentration increased from 1575.3 ± 1040.6 pg/mL before stress loading to 6022.2 ± 6742.6 pg/mL after stress loading, but the difference was not significant (p = 0.10). CONCLUSIONS Choroidal thickness increased when rats were subjected to restraint stress, supporting the hypothesis that stress is one of the causes of pachychoroid spectrum disease, as exemplified by central serous chorioretinopathy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuki Maeda
- Department of Ophthalmology, Hyogo Medical University, Nishinomiya, Japan
| | - Masashi Takata
- Department of Ophthalmology, Hyogo Medical University, Nishinomiya, Japan
| | - Fumi Gomi
- Department of Ophthalmology, Hyogo Medical University, Nishinomiya, Japan
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Martinez-Galan JR, Garcia-Belando M, Cabanes-Sanchis JJ, Caminos E. Pre- and postsynaptic alterations in the visual cortex of the P23H-1 retinal degeneration rat model. Front Neuroanat 2022; 16:1000085. [PMID: 36312296 PMCID: PMC9608761 DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2022.1000085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2022] [Accepted: 09/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
P23H rats express a variant of rhodopsin with a mutation that leads to loss of visual function with similar properties as human autosomal dominant retinitis pigmentosa (RP). The advances made in different therapeutic strategies to recover visual system functionality reveal the need to know whether progressive retina degeneration affects the visual cortex structure. Here we are interested in detecting cortical alterations in young rats with moderate retinal degeneration, and in adulthood when degeneration is severer. For this purpose, we studied the synaptic architecture of the primary visual cortex (V1) by analyzing a series of pre- and postsynaptic elements related to excitatory glutamatergic transmission. Visual cortices from control Sprague Dawley (SD) and P23H rats at postnatal days 30 (P30) and P230 were used to evaluate the distribution of vesicular glutamate transporters VGLUT1 and VGLUT2 by immunofluorescence, and to analyze the expression of postsynaptic density protein-95 (PSD-95) by Western blot. The amount and dendritic spine distribution along the apical shafts of the layer V pyramidal neurons, stained by the Golgi-Cox method, were also studied. We observed that at P30, RP does not significantly affect any of the studied markers and structures, which suggests in young P23H rats that visual cortex connectivity seems preserved. However, in adult rats, although VGLUT1 immunoreactivity and PSD-95 expression were similar between both groups, a narrower and stronger VGLUT2-immunoreactive band in layer IV was observed in the P23H rats. Furthermore, RP significantly decreased the density of dendritic spines and altered their distribution along the apical shafts of pyramidal neurons, which remained in a more immature state compared to the P230 SD rats. Our results indicate that the most notable changes in the visual cortex structure take place after a prolonged retinal degeneration period that affected the presynaptic thalamocortical VGLUT2-immunoreactive terminals and postsynaptic dendritic spines from layer V pyramidal cells. Although plasticity is more limited at these ages, future studies will determine how reversible these changes are and to what extent they can affect the visual system’s functionality.
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Koo B, Weiland JD. Progressive Retinal Degeneration Increases Cortical Response Latency of Light Stimulation but Not of Electric Stimulation. Transl Vis Sci Technol 2022; 11:19. [PMID: 35446408 PMCID: PMC9034728 DOI: 10.1167/tvst.11.4.19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2021] [Accepted: 03/31/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose The brain is known to change functionally and structurally in response to blindness, but less is known about the effects of restoration of cortical input on brain function. Here, we present a preliminary study to observe alterations in visual and electrical evoked cortical potentials as a function of age in a clinically relevant animal model of retinitis pigmentosa. Methods We recorded brain potentials elicited by light (visual evoked potentials [VEPs]) or corneal electrical stimulation (electrical evoked response [EER]) in retinal degenerate animal model LE-P23H-1. We used a linear mixed model to examine the effects of age on latency and amplitude of VEP and EER age groups P120, P180, and P360. Results VEP N1, P1, and N2 latency and amplitude were analyzed across animal age. For 1 Hz VEP, N1 latency increased significantly with animal age (slope = 0.053 ± 0.020 ms/day, P < 0.01). For 10 Hz VEP, N1, P1, and N2 latency increased significantly with animal age (slope = 0.104 ± 0.011, 0.135 ± 0.011, 0.087 ± 0.023 ms/day, and P < 0.001 for all VEP peaks). Conversely, EER latency did not change with age. Signal amplitude of VEP or EER did not change with age. Conclusions Cortical potentials evoked by electrical stimulation of the retina do not diminish in spite of continued retinal degeneration in P23H rats. Translational Relevance These findings suggest that retinal bioelectronic treatments of retinitis pigmentosa will activate cortex consistently despite variations in outer retinal degeneration. Clinical studies of retinal stimulation should consider varying retinitis pigmentosa genotypes as part of the experimental design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beomseo Koo
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Biointerfaces Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - James D. Weiland
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Biointerfaces Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
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Vázquez-Domínguez I, Garanto A. Considerations for Generating Humanized Mouse Models to Test Efficacy of Antisense Oligonucleotides. METHODS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY (CLIFTON, N.J.) 2022; 2434:267-279. [PMID: 35213024 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2010-6_18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Over the last decades, animal models have become increasingly important in therapeutic drug development and assessment. The use of these models, mainly mice and rats, allow evaluating drugs in the real-organism environment and context. However, several molecular therapeutic approaches are sequence-dependent, and therefore, the humanization of such models is required to assess the efficacy. The generation of genetically modified humanized mouse models is often an expensive and laborious process that may not always recapitulate the human molecular and/or physiological phenotype. In this chapter, we summarize basic aspects to consider before designing and generating humanized models, especially when they are aimed to test antisense-based therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irene Vázquez-Domínguez
- Department of Human Genetics, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
| | - Alejandro Garanto
- Department of Pediatrics, Amalia Children's Hospital, Radboud Institute of Molecular Life Sciences (RIMLS), Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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Liu X, Jia R, Meng X, Li Y, Yang L. Retinal degeneration in humanized mice expressing mutant rhodopsin under the control of the endogenous murine promoter. Exp Eye Res 2021; 215:108893. [PMID: 34919893 DOI: 10.1016/j.exer.2021.108893] [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: 04/12/2021] [Revised: 10/31/2021] [Accepted: 12/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
RHO is one of the most common genetic causes of autosomal dominant retinitis Pigmentosa (adRP) and there is no effective therapy for this disease. While rapidly developed CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing technology presents a promising therapeutic strategy to treat adRP. A large number of studies for treating adRP using CRISPR/Cas9 have been performed based on transgenic mouse models which are affected with adRP caused by mutant mouse rhodopsin allele, the counterpart of human rhodopsin. Recently, some RHO humanized mouse models like T17M, P23H are generated, which permit testing of the therapeutic effect of CRISPR/Cas9 in preclinical in vivo systems, without putting humans at risk. While available humanized mouse models are few compared to the number of known RHO mutations, but it is time-consuming and costly to build humanized mice for each mutation. We wonder whether a humanized mouse model having several mutations simultaneously can be developed, although which rarely occurs in patients, to investigate the therapeutic effect of CRISPR/Cas9 for RHO-mediated adRP in preclinical in vivo systems. Homology directed repair strategy combing with CRISPR/Cas9 was employed to introduce human RHO genomic fragment containing the replacement of mouse exon1(mE1) after the start codon to mE5 before the stop codon and all introns by the human counterparts. The human rhodopsin could express under the control of the endogenous murine promoter both transcriptionally and translationally in vivo. Human rhodopsin in humanized mouse lines (without mutation) could replace murine rhodopsin morphologically and functionally. While human rhodopsin containing T17M, G51D, G114R, R135W and P171R mutations simultaneously in mutant humanized (Mut-Rhowt/hum and Mut-Rhohum/hum) mouse lines caused retinal degeneration. Mut-Rhohum/hum mice suffered from severe retinal degeneration with defective formation of rod outer segment, leaving nonrecordable electroretinogram (ERG) at 3 months. Mut- Rhowt/hum mice had a slower rate of photoreceptors loss. In 7-month-old Mut- Rhowt/hum mice, statistically reduced scotopic ERG responses were visible compared with age-matched WT mice, but the shortened outer segment and thinner outer nuclear layer could be observed from 3 months. From 7 months to 9 months, significantly abnormal scotopic ERG responses were visible and photoreceptors loss were also obvious in 9-month-old Mut-Rhowt/hum mice. In 12-month-old Mut- Rhowt/hum mice, statistically reduced scotopic and photopic ERG responses and retinal degeneration throughout the retina were visible. Because scotopic responses were more affected than photopic responses in mutant humanized mice, demonstrating that rods dysfunction was more severe than cones dysfunction and deteriorated earlier, the pattern of retinal degeneration caused by mutant human rhodopsin was a typical rod-cone decay. Immunocytochemistry in cells indicated human rhodopsin proteins with 5 mutations aggregated in the cytoplasm and were also retained in the endoplasmic reticulum. The mutant human rhodopsin also accumulated in rod inner segments and cellular bodies in vivo. In conclusion, our humanized models provide excellent opportunities to study the human rhodopsin expression patterns. Our mutant humanized heterozygotes can provide opportunities to explore gene editing therapies via CRISPR/Cas9 for these five mutations in preclinical studies, it is time-saving and cost-effective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaozhen Liu
- Department of Ophthalmology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, 100191, China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Restoration of Damaged Ocular Nerve, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Ruixuan Jia
- Department of Ophthalmology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, 100191, China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Restoration of Damaged Ocular Nerve, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Xiang Meng
- Department of Ophthalmology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, 100191, China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Restoration of Damaged Ocular Nerve, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Ying Li
- Department of Ophthalmology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, 100191, China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Restoration of Damaged Ocular Nerve, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Liping Yang
- Department of Ophthalmology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, 100191, China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Restoration of Damaged Ocular Nerve, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, 100191, China.
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Ortega JT, Jastrzebska B. Neuroinflammation as a Therapeutic Target in Retinitis Pigmentosa and Quercetin as Its Potential Modulator. Pharmaceutics 2021; 13:pharmaceutics13111935. [PMID: 34834350 PMCID: PMC8623264 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics13111935] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2021] [Revised: 11/09/2021] [Accepted: 11/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The retina is a multilayer neuronal tissue located in the back of the eye that transduces the environmental light into a neural impulse. Many eye diseases caused by endogenous or exogenous harm lead to retina degeneration with neuroinflammation being a major hallmark of these pathologies. One of the most prevalent retinopathies is retinitis pigmentosa (RP), a clinically and genetically heterogeneous hereditary disorder that causes a decline in vision and eventually blindness. Most RP cases are related to mutations in the rod visual receptor, rhodopsin. The mutant protein triggers inflammatory reactions resulting in the activation of microglia to clear degenerating photoreceptor cells. However, sustained insult caused by the abnormal genetic background exacerbates the inflammatory response and increases oxidative stress in the retina, leading to a decline in rod photoreceptors followed by cone photoreceptors. Thus, inhibition of inflammation in RP has received attention and has been explored as a potential therapeutic strategy. However, pharmacological modulation of the retinal inflammatory response in combination with rhodopsin small molecule chaperones would likely be a more advantageous therapeutic approach to combat RP. Flavonoids, which exhibit antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, and modulate the stability and folding of rod opsin, could be a valid option in developing treatment strategies against RP.
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Orhan E, Neuillé M, de Sousa Dias M, Pugliese T, Michiels C, Condroyer C, Antonio A, Sahel JA, Audo I, Zeitz C. A New Mouse Model for Complete Congenital Stationary Night Blindness Due to Gpr179 Deficiency. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22094424. [PMID: 33922602 PMCID: PMC8122890 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22094424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2021] [Revised: 04/19/2021] [Accepted: 04/20/2021] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Mutations in GPR179 lead to autosomal recessive complete congenital stationary night blindness (cCSNB). This condition represents a signal transmission defect from the photoreceptors to the ON-bipolar cells. To confirm the phenotype, better understand the pathogenic mechanism in vivo, and provide a model for therapeutic approaches, a Gpr179 knock-out mouse model was genetically and functionally characterized. We confirmed that the insertion of a neo/lac Z cassette in intron 1 of Gpr179 disrupts the same gene. Spectral domain optical coherence tomography reveals no obvious retinal structure abnormalities. Gpr179 knock-out mice exhibit a so-called no-b-wave (nob) phenotype with severely reduced b-wave amplitudes in the electroretinogram. Optomotor tests reveal decreased optomotor responses under scotopic conditions. Consistent with the genetic disruption of Gpr179, GPR179 is absent at the dendritic tips of ON-bipolar cells. While proteins of the same signal transmission cascade (GRM6, LRIT3, and TRPM1) are correctly localized, other proteins (RGS7, RGS11, and GNB5) known to regulate GRM6 are absent at the dendritic tips of ON-bipolar cells. These results add a new model of cCSNB, which is important to better understand the role of GPR179, its implication in patients with cCSNB, and its use for the development of therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elise Orhan
- Institut de la Vision, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Sorbonne Université, F-75012 Paris, France; (E.O.); (M.N.); (M.d.S.D.); (T.P.); (C.M.); (C.C.); (A.A.); (J.-A.S.); (I.A.)
| | - Marion Neuillé
- Institut de la Vision, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Sorbonne Université, F-75012 Paris, France; (E.O.); (M.N.); (M.d.S.D.); (T.P.); (C.M.); (C.C.); (A.A.); (J.-A.S.); (I.A.)
| | - Miguel de Sousa Dias
- Institut de la Vision, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Sorbonne Université, F-75012 Paris, France; (E.O.); (M.N.); (M.d.S.D.); (T.P.); (C.M.); (C.C.); (A.A.); (J.-A.S.); (I.A.)
| | - Thomas Pugliese
- Institut de la Vision, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Sorbonne Université, F-75012 Paris, France; (E.O.); (M.N.); (M.d.S.D.); (T.P.); (C.M.); (C.C.); (A.A.); (J.-A.S.); (I.A.)
| | - Christelle Michiels
- Institut de la Vision, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Sorbonne Université, F-75012 Paris, France; (E.O.); (M.N.); (M.d.S.D.); (T.P.); (C.M.); (C.C.); (A.A.); (J.-A.S.); (I.A.)
| | - Christel Condroyer
- Institut de la Vision, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Sorbonne Université, F-75012 Paris, France; (E.O.); (M.N.); (M.d.S.D.); (T.P.); (C.M.); (C.C.); (A.A.); (J.-A.S.); (I.A.)
| | - Aline Antonio
- Institut de la Vision, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Sorbonne Université, F-75012 Paris, France; (E.O.); (M.N.); (M.d.S.D.); (T.P.); (C.M.); (C.C.); (A.A.); (J.-A.S.); (I.A.)
| | - José-Alain Sahel
- Institut de la Vision, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Sorbonne Université, F-75012 Paris, France; (E.O.); (M.N.); (M.d.S.D.); (T.P.); (C.M.); (C.C.); (A.A.); (J.-A.S.); (I.A.)
- Centre Hospitalier National d’Ophtalmologie des Quinze-Vingts, INSERM-DGOS CIC1423, F-75012 Paris, France
- Fondation Ophtalmologique Adolphe de Rothschild, F-75019 Paris, France
- Academie des Sciences, Institut de France, F-75006 Paris, France
- Department of Ophthalmology, The University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Isabelle Audo
- Institut de la Vision, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Sorbonne Université, F-75012 Paris, France; (E.O.); (M.N.); (M.d.S.D.); (T.P.); (C.M.); (C.C.); (A.A.); (J.-A.S.); (I.A.)
- Centre Hospitalier National d’Ophtalmologie des Quinze-Vingts, INSERM-DGOS CIC1423, F-75012 Paris, France
- Institute of Ophthalmology, University College of London, London EC1V 9EL, UK
| | - Christina Zeitz
- Institut de la Vision, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Sorbonne Université, F-75012 Paris, France; (E.O.); (M.N.); (M.d.S.D.); (T.P.); (C.M.); (C.C.); (A.A.); (J.-A.S.); (I.A.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +33-1-53-46-25-40
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Nguyen D, Valet M, Dégardin J, Boucherit L, Illa X, de la Cruz J, Del Corro E, Bousquet J, Garrido JA, Hébert C, Picaud S. Novel Graphene Electrode for Retinal Implants: An in vivo Biocompatibility Study. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:615256. [PMID: 33746697 PMCID: PMC7969870 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.615256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2020] [Accepted: 02/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Evaluating biocompatibility is a core essential step to introducing a new material as a candidate for brain-machine interfaces. Foreign body reactions often result in glial scars that can impede the performance of the interface. Having a high conductivity and large electrochemical window, graphene is a candidate material for electrical stimulation with retinal prosthesis. In this study, non-functional devices consisting of chemical vapor deposition (CVD) graphene embedded onto polyimide/SU-8 substrates were fabricated for a biocompatibility study. The devices were implanted beneath the retina of blind P23H rats. Implants were monitored by optical coherence tomography (OCT) and eye fundus which indicated a high stability in vivo up to 3 months before histology studies were done. Microglial reconstruction through confocal imaging illustrates that the presence of graphene on polyimide reduced the number of microglial cells in the retina compared to polyimide alone, thereby indicating a high biocompatibility. This study highlights an interesting approach to assess material biocompatibility in a tissue model of central nervous system, the retina, which is easily accessed optically and surgically.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diep Nguyen
- INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
| | - Manon Valet
- INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
| | - Julie Dégardin
- INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
| | - Leyna Boucherit
- INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
| | - Xavi Illa
- Instituto de Microelectrónica de Barcelona, IMB-CNM (CSIC), Bellaterra, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina, Madrid, Spain
| | - Jose de la Cruz
- Catalan Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Elena Del Corro
- Catalan Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jessica Bousquet
- Catalan Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jose A Garrido
- Catalan Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, Barcelona, Spain.,Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Clément Hébert
- Catalan Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Serge Picaud
- INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
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10
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Sher I, Moverman D, Ketter-Katz H, Moisseiev E, Rotenstreich Y. In vivo retinal imaging in translational regenerative research. ANNALS OF TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE 2020; 8:1096. [PMID: 33145315 PMCID: PMC7575995 DOI: 10.21037/atm-20-4355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Regenerative translational studies must include a longitudinal assessment of the changes in retinal structure and function that occur as part of the natural history of the disease and those that result from the studied intervention. Traditionally, retinal structural changes have been evaluated by histological analysis which necessitates sacrificing the animals. In this review, we describe key imaging approaches such as fundus imaging, optical coherence tomography (OCT), OCT-angiography, adaptive optics (AO), and confocal scanning laser ophthalmoscopy (cSLO) that enable noninvasive, non-contact, and fast in vivo imaging of the posterior segment. These imaging technologies substantially reduce the number of animals needed and enable progression analysis and longitudinal follow-up in individual animals for accurate assessment of disease natural history, effects of interventions and acute changes. We also describe the benefits and limitations of each technology, as well as outline possible future directions that can be taken in translational retinal imaging studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ifat Sher
- Goldschleger Eye Institute, Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer, Israel.,Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Daniel Moverman
- Goldschleger Eye Institute, Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer, Israel
| | - Hadas Ketter-Katz
- Goldschleger Eye Institute, Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer, Israel.,Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Elad Moisseiev
- Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.,Department of Ophthalmology, Meir Medical Center, Kfar Saba, Israel
| | - Ygal Rotenstreich
- Goldschleger Eye Institute, Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer, Israel.,Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
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11
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Kakavand K, Jobling AI, Greferath U, Vessey KA, de Iongh RU, Fletcher EL. Photoreceptor Degeneration in Pro23His Transgenic Rats (Line 3) Involves Autophagic and Necroptotic Mechanisms. Front Neurosci 2020; 14:581579. [PMID: 33224023 PMCID: PMC7670078 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2020.581579] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2020] [Accepted: 10/02/2020] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Photoreceptor death contributes to 50% of irreversible vision loss in the western world. Pro23His (P23H) transgenic albino rat strains are widely used models for the most common rhodopsin gene mutation associated with the autosomal dominant form of retinitis pigmentosa. However, the mechanism(s) by which photoreceptor death occurs are not well understood and were the principal aim of this study. We first used electroretinogram recording and optical coherence tomography to confirm the time course of functional and structural loss. Electroretinogram analyses revealed significantly decreased rod photoreceptor (a-wave), bipolar cell (b-wave) and amacrine cell responses (oscillatory potentials) from P30 onward. The cone-mediated b-wave was also decreased from P30. TUNEL analysis showed extensive cell death at P18, with continued labeling detected until P30. Focused gene expression arrays indicated activation of, apoptosis, autophagy and necroptosis in whole retina from P14-18. However, analysis of mitochondrial permeability changes (ΔΨm) using JC-1 dye, combined with immunofluorescence markers for caspase-dependent (cleaved caspase-3) and caspase-independent (AIF) cell death pathways, indicated mitochondrial-mediated cell death was not a major contributor to photoreceptor death. By contrast, reverse-phase protein array data combined with RIPK3 and phospho-MLKL immunofluorescence indicated widespread necroptosis as the predominant mechanism of photoreceptor death. These findings highlight the complexity of mechanisms involved in photoreceptor death in the Pro23His rat model of degeneration and suggest therapies that target necroptosis should be considered for their potential to reduce photoreceptor death.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kiana Kakavand
- Visual Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Andrew I Jobling
- Visual Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Ursula Greferath
- Visual Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Kirstan A Vessey
- Visual Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Robb U de Iongh
- Ocular Development Laboratory, Department Anatomy and Neuroscience, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Erica L Fletcher
- Visual Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
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12
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Perdices L, Fuentes-Broto L, Segura F, Cuenca N, Orduna-Hospital E, Pinilla I. Epigallocatechin Gallate Slows Retinal Degeneration, Reduces Oxidative Damage, and Modifies Circadian Rhythms in P23H Rats. Antioxidants (Basel) 2020; 9:antiox9080718. [PMID: 32784376 PMCID: PMC7465727 DOI: 10.3390/antiox9080718] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2020] [Revised: 08/03/2020] [Accepted: 08/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) includes a group of genetic disorders that involve the loss of visual function due to mutations mainly in photoreceptors but also in other retinal cells. Apoptosis, retinal disorganization, and inflammation are common in the progression of the disease. Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) has been proved as beneficial in different eye diseases. Pigmented heterozygous P23H rat was used as an animal model of RP. Visual function was assessed by optomotor and electroretinogram (ERG) and circadian rhythms were evaluated by telemetry. Hepatic oxidative damage and antioxidant defenses were assessed using biochemical tests. The visual function of the EGCG P23H group was preserved, with a deterioration in the activity period and lower values in the interdaily stability parameter. Control rats treated with EGCG were less active than the sham group. EGCG increased antioxidant levels in P23H rats but reduced total hepatic antioxidant capacity by almost 42% in control rats compared to the sham group. We conclude that treatment with EGCG improves visual function and antioxidant status in P23H rats but diminishes antioxidant defenses in wild-type control animals, and slightly worsens activity circadian rhythms. Further studies are necessary to clarify the beneficial effects in disease conditions and in healthy organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorena Perdices
- Aragon Institute for Health Research (IIS Aragón), 50009 Zaragoza, Spain; (L.P.); (I.P.)
| | - Lorena Fuentes-Broto
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Legal and Forensic Medicine, Universidad de Zaragoza, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +34-976-761-706
| | - Francisco Segura
- Department of Applied Physics, Universidad de Zaragoza, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain;
| | - Nicolás Cuenca
- Department of Physiology, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Alicante, 03690 San Vicente del Raspeig, Alicante, Spain;
| | | | - Isabel Pinilla
- Aragon Institute for Health Research (IIS Aragón), 50009 Zaragoza, Spain; (L.P.); (I.P.)
- Department of Ophthalmology, Lozano Blesa University Hospital, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain
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13
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A spectral-domain optical coherence tomographic analysis of Rdh5-/- mice retina. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0231220. [PMID: 32271812 PMCID: PMC7144952 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0231220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2019] [Accepted: 03/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE To investigate the longitudinal findings of spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) in relation to the morphologic features in Rdh5 knockout (Rdh5-/-) mice. MATERIALS AND METHODS The mouse retina was segmented into four layers; the inner retinal (A), outer plexiform and outer nuclear (B), rod/cone (C), and retinal pigment epithelium (RPE)/choroid (D) layers. The thickness of each retinal layer of Rdh5-/- mice was longitudinally and quantitatively measured at six time points from postnatal months (PM) 1 to PM6 using SD-OCT. Age-matched C57BL/6J mice were employed as wild-type controls. The data were statistically compared using Student's t-test. The fundus appearance was assessed, histologic and ultrastructural examinations were performed in both groups. RESULTS Layers A and B were significantly thinner in the Rdh5-/- mice than in the wild-type C57BL/6J mice during the observation periods. Layers C and D became thinner in the Rdh5-/- mice than in the wild-type mice after PM6. Although no abnormalities corresponding to whitish fundus dots were detected by SD-OCT or histologic examinations, the intracellular accumulation of low-density vacuoles was noted in the RPE of the Rdh5-/- mice by electron microscopy. The photoreceptor nuclei appeared less dense in the Rdh5-/- mice than in the wild-type mice. DISCUSSION The results from the present study suggest that although it is difficult to detect qualitative abnormalities, SD-OCT can detect quantitative changes in photoreceptors even in the early stage of retinal degeneration induced by the Rdh5 gene mutation in mice.
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14
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Cuenca N, Ortuño-Lizarán I, Sánchez-Sáez X, Kutsyr O, Albertos-Arranz H, Fernández-Sánchez L, Martínez-Gil N, Noailles A, López-Garrido JA, López-Gálvez M, Lax P, Maneu V, Pinilla I. Interpretation of OCT and OCTA images from a histological approach: Clinical and experimental implications. Prog Retin Eye Res 2020; 77:100828. [PMID: 31911236 DOI: 10.1016/j.preteyeres.2019.100828] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2019] [Revised: 12/16/2019] [Accepted: 12/30/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Optical coherence tomography (OCT) and OCT angiography (OCTA) have been a technological breakthrough in the diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up of many retinal diseases, thanks to its resolution and its ability to inform of the retinal state in seconds, which gives relevant information about retinal degeneration. In this review, we present an immunohistochemical description of the human and mice retina and we correlate it with the OCT bands in health and pathological conditions. Here, we propose an interpretation of the four outer hyperreflective OCT bands with a correspondence to retinal histology: the first and innermost band as the external limiting membrane (ELM), the second band as the cone ellipsoid zone (EZ), the third band as the outer segment tips phagocytosed by the pigment epithelium (PhaZ), and the fourth band as the mitochondria in the basal portion of the RPE (RPEmitZ). The integrity of these bands would reflect the health of photoreceptors and retinal pigment epithelium. Moreover, we describe how the vascular plexuses vary in different regions of the healthy human and mice retina, using OCTA and immunohistochemistry. In humans, four, three, two or one plexuses can be observed depending on the distance from the fovea. Also, specific structures such as vascular loops in the intermediate capillary plexus, or spider-like structures of interconnected capillaries in the deep capillary plexus are found. In mice, three vascular plexuses occupy the whole retina, except in the most peripheral retina where only two plexuses are found. These morphological issues should be considered when assessing a pathology, as some retinal diseases are associated with structural changes in blood vessels. Therefore, the analysis of OCT bands and OCTA vascular plexuses may be complementary for the diagnosis and prognosis of retinal degenerative processes, useful to assess therapeutic approaches, and it is usually correlated to visual acuity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolás Cuenca
- Department of Physiology, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Alicante, Spain; Institute Ramón Margalef, University of Alicante, Alicante, Spain.
| | | | - Xavier Sánchez-Sáez
- Department of Physiology, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Alicante, Spain
| | - Oksana Kutsyr
- Department of Physiology, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Alicante, Spain
| | | | | | - Natalia Martínez-Gil
- Department of Physiology, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Alicante, Spain
| | - Agustina Noailles
- Department of Physiology, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Alicante, Spain
| | | | | | - Pedro Lax
- Department of Physiology, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Alicante, Spain
| | - Victoria Maneu
- Department of Optics, Pharmacology and Anatomy, University of Alicante, Spain
| | - Isabel Pinilla
- Department of Ophthalmology, Lozano Blesa, University Hospital, Zaragoza, Spain
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15
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Optical Coherence Tomography of Animal Models of Retinitis Pigmentosa: From Animal Studies to Clinical Applications. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2019; 2019:8276140. [PMID: 31781647 PMCID: PMC6875330 DOI: 10.1155/2019/8276140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2019] [Accepted: 09/18/2019] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Purpose The aim of this study was to understand the relationship between the findings of spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) of previously reported animal models of retinitis pigmentosa (RP) associated with known genetic mutations and their background structural and functional changes. Methods We reviewed previous publications reporting the SD-OCT findings of animal models of RP and summarized the characteristic findings of SD-OCT in nine different animal models (RCS -/- , RHO P23H, RHO S334ter, RHO -/- , Rpe65 -/- , rp12, Pde6β -/- (rd1 and rd10), and Arr1 -/- ) of human RP. Results Despite the various abnormal structural changes found in these different animal models, progressive thinning of the outer nuclear layer (ONL) and hyperreflective change in the inner and outer segment (IS-OS) layers of the photoreceptors were commonly observed on SD-OCT. In the rapidly progressive severe photoreceptor degeneration seen in rd10 and Arr1 -/- mice, the ONL appeared hyperreflective. Electroretinography revealed various degrees of disease severity in these animal models. Discussion and Conclusion: SD-OCT is sensitive enough to detect even mild changes in the photoreceptor OS. Conversely, SD-OCT cannot qualitatively differentiate the pathologic and functional differences in the photoreceptors associated with different genetic abnormalities, with the exception of the rapid progression of severe forms of photoreceptor degeneration. These findings can be of value to understand better the clinical findings and the heterogeneous degenerative processes in patients with RP.
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16
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Blond F, Léveillard T. Functional Genomics of the Retina to Elucidate its Construction and Deconstruction. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:E4922. [PMID: 31590277 PMCID: PMC6801968 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20194922] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2019] [Accepted: 10/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The retina is the light sensitive part of the eye and nervous tissue that have been used extensively to characterize the function of the central nervous system. The retina has a central position both in fundamental biology and in the physiopathology of neurodegenerative diseases. We address the contribution of functional genomics to the understanding of retinal biology by reviewing key events in their historical perspective as an introduction to major findings that were obtained through the study of the retina using genomics, transcriptomics and proteomics. We illustrate our purpose by showing that most of the genes of interest for retinal development and those involved in inherited retinal degenerations have a restricted expression to the retina and most particularly to photoreceptors cells. We show that the exponential growth of data generated by functional genomics is a future challenge not only in terms of storage but also in terms of accessibility to the scientific community of retinal biologists in the future. Finally, we emphasize on novel perspectives that emerge from the development of redox-proteomics, the new frontier in retinal biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frédéric Blond
- Department of Genetics, Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, 17 rue Moreau, F-75012 Paris, France.
| | - Thierry Léveillard
- Department of Genetics, Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, 17 rue Moreau, F-75012 Paris, France.
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17
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Balancing the Photoreceptor Proteome: Proteostasis Network Therapeutics for Inherited Retinal Disease. Genes (Basel) 2019; 10:genes10080557. [PMID: 31344897 PMCID: PMC6722924 DOI: 10.3390/genes10080557] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2019] [Revised: 07/09/2019] [Accepted: 07/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The light sensing outer segments of photoreceptors (PRs) are renewed every ten days due to their high photoactivity, especially of the cones during daytime vision. This demands a tremendous amount of energy, as well as a high turnover of their main biosynthetic compounds, membranes, and proteins. Therefore, a refined proteostasis network (PN), regulating the protein balance, is crucial for PR viability. In many inherited retinal diseases (IRDs) this balance is disrupted leading to protein accumulation in the inner segment and eventually the death of PRs. Various studies have been focusing on therapeutically targeting the different branches of the PR PN to restore the protein balance and ultimately to treat inherited blindness. This review first describes the different branches of the PN in detail. Subsequently, insights are provided on how therapeutic compounds directed against the different PN branches might slow down or even arrest the appalling, progressive blinding conditions. These insights are supported by findings of PN modulators in other research disciplines.
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18
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Tanabu R, Sato K, Monai N, Yamauchi K, Gonome T, Xie Y, Takahashi S, Ishiguro SI, Nakazawa M. The findings of optical coherence tomography of retinal degeneration in relation to the morphological and electroretinographic features in RPE65-/- mice. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0210439. [PMID: 30695025 PMCID: PMC6350961 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0210439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [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: 06/06/2018] [Accepted: 12/21/2018] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose Mutations of the gene encoding RPE65 cause Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA) retinitis pigmentosa (RP). The optical coherence tomography (OCT) is increasingly utilized to noninvasively evaluate various types of retinal diseases, including RP. The present study was conducted to characterize the OCT findings of the RPE65−/− mice—an animal model of LCA and RP—in relation to the morphological features based on histological and electron microscopic findings as well as electroretinography (ERG) features. Materials and methods RPE65−/− mice were employed as a model of retinal degeneration. C57BL/6J mice were used as a wild-type control. OCT was performed on the RPE65−/− mice from postnatal day (P) 22 to 170. The longitudinal changes in the OCT images and fundus pictures were analyzed both qualitatively and quantitatively in comparison to those of C57BL/6J mice. The OCT images were also compared to the histological and electron microscopic findings. Full field combined rod and cone ERG was performed to analyze the relationship between morphology based on OCT and the amplitudes of the a- and b-waves. Results In the RPE65−/− mice, the photoreceptor rod and cone layer appeared as a diffuse hyperreflective zone contiguous with the inner segment ellipsoid zone (IS-EZ) on OCT, even on P22, whereas the IS-EZ and interdigitation zone were clearly identified in the age-matched C57BL/6J mice. The histological analyses revealed that the regular arrangement of the photoreceptor inner and outer segments was gradually lost in the RPE65-/- mice. On electron microscopy, most of the rod outer segments were degenerated from P21 to P35, whereas outer segments became variably shorter after P49 although ultrastructure appeared to normalize. The thickness of the outer nuclear layer of RPE65−/− mice was slowly and progressively reduced in comparison to C57BL/6J mice. Although the thickness of the inner and outer segment layer of RPE65−/− mice was significantly decreased in comparison to C57BL/6J mice, the change was not progressive, at least until P170. Even at P35, the amplitudes of both a- and b-waves on ERG were severely deteriorated in comparison to those of C57BL/6J mice. Mottled depigmented spots appeared throughout the fundus in RPE65−/− mice after P72, and were detected as hyperreflective deposits under the retinal pigment epithelium on OCT. Discussion The pathological changes in the inner and outer segments layer of RPE65−/− mice were identified as diffuse hyperreflective changes on OCT. The rod outer segments showed degeneration in the early postnatal periods but became morphologically normalized in the disc structure after P49, although the sizes of the length of the rod outer segments were variable. OCT could not qualitatively differentiate the early degeneration of rods from the late variability in size of rods. Although the morphology of the photoreceptor outer segments was relatively preserved in the RPE65−/− mice, the amplitudes of ERG were severely disturbed. These structural and functional deficits may be derived from the defective supply of 11-cis-retinol to the photoreceptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reiko Tanabu
- Department of Ophthalmology, Hirosaki University Graduate School of Medicine, Hirosaki, Japan
| | - Kota Sato
- Department of Ophthalmology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan
| | - Natsuki Monai
- Department of Ophthalmology, Hirosaki University Graduate School of Medicine, Hirosaki, Japan
| | - Kodai Yamauchi
- Department of Ophthalmology, Hirosaki University Graduate School of Medicine, Hirosaki, Japan
| | - Takayuki Gonome
- Department of Ophthalmology, Hirosaki University Graduate School of Medicine, Hirosaki, Japan
| | - Yuting Xie
- Department of Ophthalmology, Hirosaki University Graduate School of Medicine, Hirosaki, Japan
| | - Shizuka Takahashi
- Department of Ophthalmology, Hirosaki University Graduate School of Medicine, Hirosaki, Japan
| | - Sei-ichi Ishiguro
- Department of Ophthalmology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan
| | - Mitsuru Nakazawa
- Department of Ophthalmology, Hirosaki University Graduate School of Medicine, Hirosaki, Japan
- * E-mail:
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19
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The Spectral-Domain Optical Coherence Tomography Findings Associated with the Morphological and Electrophysiological Changes in a Rat Model of Retinal Degeneration, Rhodopsin S334ter-4 Rats. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2018; 2018:5174986. [PMID: 30581855 PMCID: PMC6276524 DOI: 10.1155/2018/5174986] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2018] [Accepted: 10/31/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Purpose To characterize the spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) findings of the rhodopsin S334ter transgenic rats (line 4) in relation to the morphologic and electroretinographic features. Materials and Methods Rhodopsin S334ter transgenic rats (line 4) were employed as a model of retinal degeneration. The Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were used as a wild-type control. SD-OCT (Micron IV®; Phoenix Research Labs, Pleasanton, CA, USA) was performed on the S334ter rats (line 4) from postnatal days (P) 13−110. The longitudinal changes of the SD-OCT images were analyzed both qualitatively and quantitatively in comparison to those of SD rats. The SD-OCT images were also compared to the histological and electron microscopic findings from examination performed on P 22, 36, and 61. Full field combined rod and cone electroretinography (ERG) was performed and the relationship between the thickness of the retinal sublayers and the amplitudes of the a- and b-waves was further analyzed. Results The photoreceptor inner and outer segment layer became diffusely hyperreflective in the SD-OCT images of the S334ter rats; these findings were not observed in the SD rats. This hyperreflective change corresponded to the degenerated inner and outer segments and the accumulation of the extracellular vesicles in the interphotoreceptor matrix. Quantitatively, the retinal outer sublayer and the photoreceptor sublayer in the S334ter rats became progressively thinner in comparison to those in the SD rats; the difference was statistically significant. The amplitudes of both the a- and b-waves on ERG were severely deteriorated in the S334ter rats. Discussion The SD-OCT images in the S334ter rats noninvasively provided information regarding the pathological changes in the photoreceptors and the longitudinal changes of both qualitative and quantitative changes during retinal degeneration in the S334ter rats (line 4). The pathological features of the photoreceptor inner and outer segments can be detected on SD-OCT as diffuse hyperreflective changes in the photoreceptor layer.
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20
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Zelinka CP, Sotolongo-Lopez M, Fadool JM. Targeted disruption of the endogenous zebrafish rhodopsin locus as models of rapid rod photoreceptor degeneration. Mol Vis 2018; 24:587-602. [PMID: 30210230 PMCID: PMC6128699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2018] [Accepted: 08/24/2018] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is a collection of genetic disorders that results in the degeneration of light-sensitive photoreceptor cells, leading to blindness. RP is associated with more than 70 loci that may display dominant or recessive modes of inheritance, but mutations in the gene encoding the visual pigment rhodopsin (RHO) are the most frequent cause. In an effort to develop precise mutations in zebrafish as novel models of photoreceptor degeneration, we describe the generation and germline transmission of a series of novel clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/Cas9-induced insertion and deletion (indel) mutations in the major zebrafish rho locus, rh1-1. Methods One- or two-cell staged zebrafish embryos were microinjected with in vitro transcribed mRNA encoding Cas9 and a single guide RNA (gRNA). Mutations were detected by restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) and DNA sequence analyses in injected embryos and offspring. Immunolabeling with rod- and cone-specific antibodies was used to test for histological and cellular changes. Results Using gRNAs that targeted highly conserved regions of rh1-1, a series of dominant and recessive alleles were recovered that resulted in the rapid degeneration of rod photoreceptors. No effect on cones was observed. Targeting the 5'-coding sequence of rh1-1 led to the recovery of several indels similar to disease-associated alleles. A frame shift mutation leading to a premature stop codon (T17*) resulted in rod degeneration when brought to homozygosity. Immunoblot and fluorescence labeling with a Rho-specific antibody suggest that this is indeed a null allele, illustrating that the Rho expression is essential for rod survival. Two in-frame mutations were recovered that disrupted the highly conserved N-linked glycosylation consensus sequence at N15. Larvae heterozygous for either of the alleles demonstrated rapid rod degeneration. Targeting of the 3'-coding region of rh1-1 resulted in the recovery of an allele encoding a premature stop codon (S347*) upstream of the conserved VSPA sorting sequence and a second in-frame allele that disrupted the putative phosphorylation site at S339. Both alleles resulted in rod death in a dominant inheritance pattern. Following the loss of the targeting sequence, immunolabeling for Rho was no longer restricted to the rod outer segment, but it was also localized to the plasma membrane. Conclusions The efficiency of CRISPR/Cas9 for gene targeting, coupled with the large number of mutations associated with RP, provided a backdrop for the rapid isolation of novel alleles in zebrafish that phenocopy disease. These novel lines will provide much needed in-vivo models for high throughput screens of compounds or genes that protect from photoreceptor degeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher P. Zelinka
- Department of Biological Science, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL
- Program in Neuroscience, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL
| | | | - James M. Fadool
- Department of Biological Science, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL
- Program in Neuroscience, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL
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21
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Perdices L, Fuentes-Broto L, Segura F, Ben Gdara N, Sánchez-Cano AI, Insa G, Orduna E, Pinilla I. Hepatic oxidative stress in pigmented P23H rhodopsin transgenic rats with progressive retinal degeneration. Free Radic Biol Med 2018; 124:550-557. [PMID: 30006118 DOI: 10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2018.07.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2018] [Revised: 06/27/2018] [Accepted: 07/08/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) comprises a group of inherited retinal degenerative conditions characterized by primary degeneration of the rod photoreceptors. Increased oxidative damage is observed in the retina, aqueous humor, and plasma of RP animal models and patients. The hepatic oxidative status may also be affected in RP due to oxidative damage influencing soluble macromolecules exiting the retina or to alterations in the melanopsin system resulting in chronic circadian desynchronization that negatively alters the oxidative stress defense system. P23H rats were crossed with pigmented Long Evans rats to produce offspring exhibiting the clinical conditions of RP. We measured hepatic malondialdehyde and 4-hydroxyalkenal concentrations as oxidative stress markers; nitrite level as a total nitrosative damage marker; total antioxidant capacity; and the activities of catalase, superoxide dismutase (SOD), and glutathione S-transferase. Retinal visual function was assessed based on optomotor and electroretinogram responses. P23H transgenic rats exhibited diminished visual acuity, contrast sensitivity, and electroretinographic responses according to the level of retinal degeneration. P23H rats at 30 days of age already demonstrated only 47% of the hepatic total antioxidant capacity of wild-type animals. Hepatic catalase and SOD activities were also reduced in P23H rats after 120 days, but we detected no difference in glutathione S-transferase activity. P23H rats had increased hepatic oxidative and nitrosative damage markers. GSH/GSSG ratio showed a significant diminution in P23H rats at P120 compared to WT. We conclude that the liver is under increased oxidative stress in P23H rats. Further studies are required, however, to clarify the contribution of systemic oxidative damage to the pathogenesis of RP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorena Perdices
- Aragón Institute for Health Research (IIS Aragón), Avda. San Juan Bosco 13, E-50009 Zaragoza, Spain; Instituto Aragonés de Ciencias de la Salud (IACS), Avda. San Juan Bosco 13, E-50009 Zaragoza, Spain.
| | - Lorena Fuentes-Broto
- Aragón Institute for Health Research (IIS Aragón), Avda. San Juan Bosco 13, E-50009 Zaragoza, Spain; Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Universidad de Zaragoza, Pedro Cerbuna 12, E-50009 Zaragoza, Spain.
| | - Francisco Segura
- Aragón Institute for Health Research (IIS Aragón), Avda. San Juan Bosco 13, E-50009 Zaragoza, Spain; Department of Surgery, Gynecology and Obstetrics, Universidad de Zaragoza, Pedro Cerbuna 12, E-50009 Zaragoza, Spain.
| | - Neyla Ben Gdara
- Department of Biology, University of Tunis El Manar, Faculty of Sciences of Tunis, University campus El Manar, 2092 Tunis, Tunisia.
| | - Ana Isabel Sánchez-Cano
- Aragón Institute for Health Research (IIS Aragón), Avda. San Juan Bosco 13, E-50009 Zaragoza, Spain; Department of Surgery, Gynecology and Obstetrics, Universidad de Zaragoza, Pedro Cerbuna 12, E-50009 Zaragoza, Spain; Department of Applied Physics, Universidad de Zaragoza, Pedro Cerbuna 12, E-50009 Zaragoza, Spain.
| | - Gema Insa
- Aragón Institute for Health Research (IIS Aragón), Avda. San Juan Bosco 13, E-50009 Zaragoza, Spain; Department of Surgery, Gynecology and Obstetrics, Universidad de Zaragoza, Pedro Cerbuna 12, E-50009 Zaragoza, Spain; Department of Applied Physics, Universidad de Zaragoza, Pedro Cerbuna 12, E-50009 Zaragoza, Spain.
| | - Elvira Orduna
- Aragón Institute for Health Research (IIS Aragón), Avda. San Juan Bosco 13, E-50009 Zaragoza, Spain; Department of Surgery, Gynecology and Obstetrics, Universidad de Zaragoza, Pedro Cerbuna 12, E-50009 Zaragoza, Spain; Department of Applied Physics, Universidad de Zaragoza, Pedro Cerbuna 12, E-50009 Zaragoza, Spain.
| | - Isabel Pinilla
- Aragón Institute for Health Research (IIS Aragón), Avda. San Juan Bosco 13, E-50009 Zaragoza, Spain; Department of Surgery, Gynecology and Obstetrics, Universidad de Zaragoza, Pedro Cerbuna 12, E-50009 Zaragoza, Spain; Department of Ophthalmology, Lozano Blesa Clinical University Hospital, Avenida San Juan Bosco 15, E-50009 Zaragoza, Spain.
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Characterization and Transplantation of CD73-Positive Photoreceptors Isolated from Human iPSC-Derived Retinal Organoids. Stem Cell Reports 2018; 11:665-680. [PMID: 30100409 PMCID: PMC6135113 DOI: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2018.07.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 108] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2018] [Revised: 07/09/2018] [Accepted: 07/10/2018] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Photoreceptor degenerative diseases are a major cause of blindness for which cell replacement is one of the most encouraging strategies. For stem cell-based therapy using human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs), it is crucial to obtain a homogenous photoreceptor cell population. We confirmed that the cell surface antigen CD73 is exclusively expressed in hiPSC-derived photoreceptors by generating a fluorescent cone rod homeobox (Crx) reporter hiPSC line using CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing. We demonstrated that CD73 targeting by magnetic-activated cell sorting (MACS) is an effective strategy to separate a safe population of transplantable photoreceptors. CD73+ photoreceptor precursors can be isolated in large numbers and transplanted into rat eyes, showing capacity to survive and mature in close proximity to host inner retina of a model of photoreceptor degeneration. These data demonstrate that CD73+ photoreceptor precursors hold great promise for a future safe clinical translation. Efficient isolation of hiPSC-derived photoreceptors via CD73-based MACS Differentiation and selection protocols readily transferable to fully GMP conditions Long-term survival of transplanted CD73+ cells in degenerated rat retina
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Cell Death Pathways in Mutant Rhodopsin Rat Models Identifies Genotype-Specific Targets Controlling Retinal Degeneration. Mol Neurobiol 2018; 56:1637-1652. [PMID: 29911255 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-018-1192-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2017] [Accepted: 06/08/2018] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is a group of inherited neurological disorders characterized by rod photoreceptor cell death, followed by secondary cone cell death leading to progressive blindness. Currently, there are no viable treatment options for RP. Due to incomplete knowledge of the molecular signaling pathways associated with RP pathogenesis, designing therapeutic strategies remains a challenge. In particular, preventing secondary cone photoreceptor cell loss is a key goal in designing potential therapies. In this study, we identified the main drivers of rod cell death and secondary cone loss in the transgenic S334ter rhodopsin rat model, tested the efficacy of specific cell death inhibitors on retinal function, and compared the effect of combining drugs to target multiple pathways in the S334ter and P23H rhodopsin rat models. The primary driver of early rod cell death in the S334ter model was a caspase-dependent process, whereas cone cell death occurred though RIP3-dependent necroptosis. In comparison, rod cell death in the P23H model was via necroptotic signaling, whereas cone cell loss occurred through inflammasome activation. Combination therapy of four drugs worked better than the individual drugs in the P23H model but not in the S334ter model. These differences imply that treatment modalities need to be tailored for each genotype. Taken together, our data demonstrate that rationally designed genotype-specific drug combinations will be an important requisite to effectively target primary rod cell loss and more importantly secondary cone survival.
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Monai N, Yamauchi K, Tanabu R, Gonome T, Ishiguro SI, Nakazawa M. Characterization of photoreceptor degeneration in the rhodopsin P23H transgenic rat line 2 using optical coherence tomography. PLoS One 2018. [PMID: 29522537 PMCID: PMC5844545 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0193778] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose To characterize the optical coherence tomography (OCT) appearances of photoreceptor degeneration in the rhodopsin P23H transgenic rat (line 2) in relation to the histological, ultrastructural, and electroretinography (ERG) findings. Materials and methods Homozygous rhodopsin P23H transgenic albino rats (line 2, very-slow degeneration model) were employed. Using OCT (Micron IV®; Phoenix Research Labs, Pleasanton, CA, USA), the natural course of photoreceptor degeneration was recorded from postnatal day (P) 15 to P 287. The OCT images were qualitatively observed by comparing them to histological and ultrastructural findings at P 62 and P 169. In addition, each retinal layer was quantitatively analyzed longitudinally during degeneration, compared it to that observed in wild type Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats. The relationships between the ERG (full-field combined rod-cone response, 3.0 cds/m2 stimulation) findings and OCT images were also analyzed. Results In the qualitative study, the two layers presumably corresponding to the photoreceptor inner segment ellipsoid zone (EZ) and interdigitation zone (IZ) were identified in the P23H rat until PN day 32. However, the photoreceptor inner and outer segment (IS/OS) layer became diffusely hyperreflective on OCT after P 46, and the EZ and IZ zones could no longer be identified on OCT. In contrast, in the SD rats, the EZ and IZ were clearly distinguished until at least P 247. The ultrastructural study showed partial disarrangements of the photoreceptor outer segment discs in the P23H rats at P 62, although a light-microscopic histological study detected almost no abnormality in the outer segment. In the quantitative study, the outer retinal layer including the outer plexiform layer (OPL) and the outer nuclear layer (ONL) became significantly thinner in the P23H rats than in the SD rats after P 71. The thickness of the IS/OS layer was maintained in the P23H rats until P 130, and it became statistically thinner than in the SD rats at P 237. The longitudinal attenuation in the amplitude of the a- and b-waves of ERG was significantly correlated with the thickness of the combined OPL and ONL but not with that of the IS/OS layer. Conclusion OCT showed the degenerated photoreceptor IS/OS layer in rhodopsin P23H transgenic rats (line 2) as a diffuse hyperreflective zone, even in the early stage, with the partially disarranged and destabilized OS discs recognizable by ultrastructural assessment but not by a histological study. The amplitude of the a- and b-waves mainly depends on the thickness of the OPL and ONL layer rather than the thickness of the photoreceptor IS/OS layer in P23H rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natsuki Monai
- Department of Ophthalmology, Hirosaki University Graduate School of Medicine, Hirosaki, Japan
| | - Kodai Yamauchi
- Department of Ophthalmology, Hirosaki University Graduate School of Medicine, Hirosaki, Japan
| | - Reiko Tanabu
- Department of Ophthalmology, Hirosaki University Graduate School of Medicine, Hirosaki, Japan
| | - Takayuki Gonome
- Department of Ophthalmology, Hirosaki University Graduate School of Medicine, Hirosaki, Japan
| | - Sei-ichi Ishiguro
- Department of Ophthalmology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan
| | - Mitsuru Nakazawa
- Department of Ophthalmology, Hirosaki University Graduate School of Medicine, Hirosaki, Japan
- * E-mail:
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25
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Bernucci MT, Merkle CW, Srinivasan VJ. Investigation of artifacts in retinal and choroidal OCT angiography with a contrast agent. BIOMEDICAL OPTICS EXPRESS 2018; 9:1020-1040. [PMID: 29541501 PMCID: PMC5846511 DOI: 10.1364/boe.9.001020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2017] [Revised: 01/22/2018] [Accepted: 01/24/2018] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) has recently emerged for imaging vasculature in clinical ophthalmology. Yet, OCTA images contain artifacts that remain challenging to interpret. To help explain these artifacts, we perform contrast-enhanced OCTA with a custom-designed wide-field ophthalmoscope in rats in vivo. We choose an intravascular contrast agent (Intralipid) with particles that are more isotropically scattering and more symmetrically shaped than red blood cells (RBCs). Then, by examining how OCTA artifacts change after contrast agent injection, we attribute OCTA artifacts to RBC-specific properties. In this work, we investigate retinal and choroidal OCTA in rats with or without melanosomes, both before and after contrast agent injection, at a wavelength at which scattering dominates the image contrast (1300 nm). First, baseline images suggest that high backscattering of choroidal melanosomes accounts for the relatively dark appearance of choroidal vessel lumens in OCTA. Second, Intralipid injection tends to eliminate the hourglass pattern artifact in OCTA images of vessel lumens and highlights vertical capillaries that were previously faint in OCTA, showing that RBC orientation is important in determining OCTA signal. Third, Intralipid injection increases lumen signal without significantly affecting the tails, suggesting that projection artifacts, or tails, are due to RBC multiple scattering. Fourth, Intralipid injection increases the side-to-top signal ratio less in choroidal vessel lumens of pigmented rats, suggesting that melanosome multiple scattering makes the hourglass artifact less prominent. This study provides the first direct experimental in vivo evidence to explain light scattering-related artifacts in OCTA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcel T. Bernucci
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California Davis, Davis, California, USA
| | - Conrad W. Merkle
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California Davis, Davis, California, USA
| | - Vivek J. Srinivasan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California Davis, Davis, California, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology and Vision Science, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, California, USA
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26
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Giannelli SG, Luoni M, Castoldi V, Massimino L, Cabassi T, Angeloni D, Demontis GC, Leocani L, Andreazzoli M, Broccoli V. Cas9/sgRNA selective targeting of the P23H Rhodopsin mutant allele for treating retinitis pigmentosa by intravitreal AAV9.PHP.B-based delivery. Hum Mol Genet 2018; 27:761-779. [PMID: 29281027 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddx438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 91] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2017] [Accepted: 12/18/2017] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
P23H is the most common mutation in the RHODOPSIN (RHO) gene leading to a dominant form of retinitis pigmentosa (RP), a rod photoreceptor degeneration that invariably causes vision loss. Specific disruption of the disease P23H RHO mutant while preserving the wild-type (WT) functional allele would be an invaluable therapy for this disease. However, various technologies tested in the past failed to achieve effective changes and consequently therapeutic benefits. We validated a CRISPR/Cas9 strategy to specifically inactivate the P23H RHO mutant, while preserving the WT allele in vitro. We, then, translated this approach in vivo by delivering the CRISPR/Cas9 components in murine Rho+/P23H mutant retinae. Targeted retinae presented a high rate of cleavage in the P23H but not WT Rho allele. This gene manipulation was sufficient to slow photoreceptor degeneration and improve retinal functions. To improve the translational potential of our approach, we tested intravitreal delivery of this system by means of adeno-associated viruses (AAVs). To this purpose, the employment of the AAV9-PHP.B resulted the most effective in disrupting the P23H Rho mutant. Finally, this approach was translated successfully in human cells engineered with the homozygous P23H RHO gene mutation. Overall, this is a significant proof-of-concept that gene allele specific targeting by CRISPR/Cas9 technology is specific and efficient and represents an unprecedented tool for treating RP and more broadly dominant genetic human disorders affecting the eye, as well as other tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Serena G Giannelli
- Stem Cell and Neurogenesis Unit, Division of Neuroscience, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy
| | - Mirko Luoni
- Stem Cell and Neurogenesis Unit, Division of Neuroscience, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy
| | - Valerio Castoldi
- Experimental Neurophysiology Unit, Institute of Experimental Neurology (INSPE), San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy
| | - Luca Massimino
- Stem Cell and Neurogenesis Unit, Division of Neuroscience, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy
- Institute of Neuroscience, National Research Council (CNR), 20129 Milan, Italy
| | - Tommaso Cabassi
- Stem Cell and Neurogenesis Unit, Division of Neuroscience, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy
- Institute of Neuroscience, National Research Council (CNR), 20129 Milan, Italy
| | - Debora Angeloni
- Institute of Life Sciences, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | | | - Letizia Leocani
- Experimental Neurophysiology Unit, Institute of Experimental Neurology (INSPE), San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy
| | | | - Vania Broccoli
- Stem Cell and Neurogenesis Unit, Division of Neuroscience, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy
- Institute of Neuroscience, National Research Council (CNR), 20129 Milan, Italy
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27
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LaVail MM, Nishikawa S, Steinberg RH, Naash MI, Duncan JL, Trautmann N, Matthes MT, Yasumura D, Lau-Villacorta C, Chen J, Peterson WM, Yang H, Flannery JG. Phenotypic characterization of P23H and S334ter rhodopsin transgenic rat models of inherited retinal degeneration. Exp Eye Res 2018; 167:56-90. [PMID: 29122605 PMCID: PMC5811379 DOI: 10.1016/j.exer.2017.10.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2017] [Revised: 10/25/2017] [Accepted: 10/31/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
We produced 8 lines of transgenic (Tg) rats expressing one of two different rhodopsin mutations in albino Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats. Three lines were generated with a proline to histidine substitution at codon 23 (P23H), the most common autosomal dominant form of retinitis pigmentosa in the United States. Five lines were generated with a termination codon at position 334 (S334ter), resulting in a C-terminal truncated opsin protein lacking the last 15 amino acid residues and containing all of the phosphorylation sites involved in rhodopsin deactivation, as well as the terminal QVAPA residues important for rhodopsin deactivation and trafficking. The rates of photoreceptor (PR) degeneration in these models vary in proportion to the ratio of mutant to wild-type rhodopsin. The models have been widely studied, but many aspects of their phenotypes have not been described. Here we present a comprehensive study of the 8 Tg lines, including the time course of PR degeneration from the onset to one year of age, retinal structure by light and electron microscopy (EM), hemispheric asymmetry and gradients of rod and cone degeneration, rhodopsin content, gene dosage effect, rapid activation and invasion of the outer retina by presumptive microglia, rod outer segment disc shedding and phagocytosis by the retinal pigmented epithelium (RPE), and retinal function by the electroretinogram (ERG). The biphasic nature of PR cell death was noted, as was the lack of an injury-induced protective response in the rat models. EM analysis revealed the accumulation of submicron vesicular structures in the interphotoreceptor space during the peak period of PR outer segment degeneration in the S334ter lines. This is likely due to the elimination of the trafficking consensus domain as seen before as with other rhodopsin mutants lacking the C-terminal QVAPA. The 8 rhodopsin Tg lines have been, and will continue to be, extremely useful models for the experimental study of inherited retinal degenerations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew M LaVail
- Beckman Vision Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143-0730, USA.
| | - Shimpei Nishikawa
- Beckman Vision Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143-0730, USA.
| | - Roy H Steinberg
- Beckman Vision Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143-0730, USA
| | - Muna I Naash
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Houston, 3517 Cullen Blvd., Room 2011, Houston, TX 77204-5060, USA.
| | - Jacque L Duncan
- Beckman Vision Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143-0730, USA.
| | - Nikolaus Trautmann
- Beckman Vision Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143-0730, USA.
| | - Michael T Matthes
- Beckman Vision Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143-0730, USA.
| | - Douglas Yasumura
- Beckman Vision Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143-0730, USA
| | - Cathy Lau-Villacorta
- Beckman Vision Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143-0730, USA.
| | - Jeannie Chen
- Zilka Neurogenetic Institute, USC Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA 90089-2821, USA.
| | - Ward M Peterson
- Beckman Vision Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143-0730, USA.
| | - Haidong Yang
- Beckman Vision Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143-0730, USA.
| | - John G Flannery
- School of Optometry, UC Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720-2020, USA.
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28
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Athanasiou D, Aguila M, Bellingham J, Li W, McCulley C, Reeves PJ, Cheetham ME. The molecular and cellular basis of rhodopsin retinitis pigmentosa reveals potential strategies for therapy. Prog Retin Eye Res 2018; 62:1-23. [PMID: 29042326 PMCID: PMC5779616 DOI: 10.1016/j.preteyeres.2017.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 217] [Impact Index Per Article: 36.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2017] [Revised: 10/03/2017] [Accepted: 10/13/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Inherited mutations in the rod visual pigment, rhodopsin, cause the degenerative blinding condition, retinitis pigmentosa (RP). Over 150 different mutations in rhodopsin have been identified and, collectively, they are the most common cause of autosomal dominant RP (adRP). Mutations in rhodopsin are also associated with dominant congenital stationary night blindness (adCSNB) and, less frequently, recessive RP (arRP). Recessive RP is usually associated with loss of rhodopsin function, whereas the dominant conditions are a consequence of gain of function and/or dominant negative activity. The in-depth characterisation of many rhodopsin mutations has revealed that there are distinct consequences on the protein structure and function associated with different mutations. Here we categorise rhodopsin mutations into seven discrete classes; with defects ranging from misfolding and disruption of proteostasis, through mislocalisation and disrupted intracellular traffic to instability and altered function. Rhodopsin adRP offers a unique paradigm to understand how disturbances in photoreceptor homeostasis can lead to neuronal cell death. Furthermore, a wide range of therapies have been tested in rhodopsin RP, from gene therapy and gene editing to pharmacological interventions. The understanding of the disease mechanisms associated with rhodopsin RP and the development of targeted therapies offer the potential of treatment for this currently untreatable neurodegeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Monica Aguila
- UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, 11-43 Bath Street, London EC1V 9EL, UK
| | - James Bellingham
- UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, 11-43 Bath Street, London EC1V 9EL, UK
| | - Wenwen Li
- UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, 11-43 Bath Street, London EC1V 9EL, UK
| | - Caroline McCulley
- UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, 11-43 Bath Street, London EC1V 9EL, UK
| | - Philip J Reeves
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Essex, Wivenhoe Park, Essex CO4 3SQ, UK.
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29
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Athanasiou D, Aguila M, Bellingham J, Kanuga N, Adamson P, Cheetham ME. The role of the ER stress-response protein PERK in rhodopsin retinitis pigmentosa. Hum Mol Genet 2017; 26:4896-4905. [PMID: 29036441 PMCID: PMC5868081 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddx370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2017] [Revised: 08/24/2017] [Accepted: 09/21/2017] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Mutations in rhodopsin, the light-sensitive protein of rod cells, are the most common cause of dominant retinitis pigmentosa (RP), a type of inherited blindness caused by the dysfunction and death of photoreceptor cells. The P23H mutation, the most frequent single cause of RP in the USA, causes rhodopsin misfolding and induction of the unfolded protein response (UPR), an adaptive ER stress response and signalling network that aims to enhance the folding and degradation of misfolded proteins to restore proteostasis. Prolonged UPR activation, and in particular the PERK branch, can reduce protein synthesis and initiate cell death through induction of pro-apoptotic pathways. Here, we investigated the effect of pharmacological PERK inhibition on retinal disease process in the P23H-1 transgenic rat model of retinal degeneration. PERK inhibition with GSK2606414A led to an inhibition of eIF2α phosphorylation, which correlated with reduced ERG function and decreased photoreceptor survival at both high and low doses of PERK inhibitor. Additionally, PERK inhibition increased the incidence of inclusion formation in cultured cells overexpressing P23H rod opsin, and increased rhodopsin aggregation in the P23H-1 rat retina, suggesting enhanced P23H misfolding and aggregation. In contrast, treatment of P23H-1 rats with an inhibitor of eIF2α phosphatase, salubrinal, led to improved photoreceptor survival. Collectively, these data suggest the activation of PERK is part of a protective response to mutant rhodopsin that ultimately limits photoreceptor cell death.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Peter Adamson
- Ophthiris Discovery Performance Unit, GlaxoSmithKline Ophthalmology, Stevenage SG1 2NY, UK
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30
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Roddy GW, Yasumura D, Matthes MT, Alavi MV, Boye SL, Rosa RH, Fautsch MP, Hauswirth WW, LaVail MM. Long-term photoreceptor rescue in two rodent models of retinitis pigmentosa by adeno-associated virus delivery of Stanniocalcin-1. Exp Eye Res 2017; 165:175-181. [PMID: 28974356 PMCID: PMC5788186 DOI: 10.1016/j.exer.2017.09.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2017] [Revised: 08/31/2017] [Accepted: 09/25/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Retinal degenerations, including age-related macular degeneration and the retinitis pigmentosa family of diseases, are among the leading causes of legal blindness in the United States. We previously found that Stanniocalcin-1 (STC-1) reduced photoreceptor loss in the S334ter-3 and Royal College of Surgeons rat models of retinal degeneration. The results were attributed in part to a reduction in oxidative stress. Herein, we tested the hypothesis that long-term delivery of STC-1 would provide therapeutic rescue in more chronic models of retinal degeneration. To achieve sustained delivery, we produced an adeno-associated virus (AAV) construct to express STC-1 (AAV-STC-1) under the control of a retinal ganglion cell targeting promoter human synapsin 1 (hSYN1). AAV-STC-1 was injected intravitreally into the P23H-1 and S334ter-4 rhodopsin transgenic rats at postnatal day 10. Tissues were collected at postnatal day 120 for confirmation of STC-1 overexpression and histologic and molecular analysis. Electroretinography (ERG) was performed in a cohort of animals at that time. Overexpression of STC-1 resulted in a significant preservation of photoreceptors as assessed by outer nuclear thickness in the P23H-1 (P < 0.05) and the S334ter-4 (P < 0.005) models compared to controls. Additionally, retinal function was significantly improved in the P23H-1 model with overexpressed STC-1 as assessed by ERG analysis (scotopic b-wave P < 0.005 and photopic b-wave P < 0.05). Microarray analysis identified common downstream gene expression changes that occurred in both models. Genes of interest based on their function were selected for validation by quantitative real-time PCR and were significantly increased in the S334ter-4 model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gavin W Roddy
- Department of Ophthalmology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA.
| | - Douglas Yasumura
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Michael T Matthes
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA.
| | - Marcel V Alavi
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA.
| | - Sanford L Boye
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA.
| | - Robert H Rosa
- Department of Ophthalmology, Scott & White Medical Center, Temple, TX 76508, USA.
| | | | - William W Hauswirth
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA.
| | - Matthew M LaVail
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA.
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31
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Long-Term Safety of Transplanting Human Bone Marrow Stromal Cells into the Extravascular Spaces of the Choroid of Rabbits. Stem Cells Int 2017; 2017:4061975. [PMID: 28698719 PMCID: PMC5494107 DOI: 10.1155/2017/4061975] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2016] [Revised: 02/26/2017] [Accepted: 04/02/2017] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Incurable neuroretinal degeneration diseases cause severe vision loss and blindness in millions of patients worldwide. In previous studies, we demonstrated that transplanting human bone marrow stromal cells (hBMSCs) in the extravascular spaces of the choroid (EVSC) of the Royal College of Surgeon rats ameliorated retinal degeneration for up to 5 months. Assessing the safety of hBMSC treatment and graft survival in a large animal is a crucial step before initiating clinical trials. Here, we transplanted hBMSCs into the EVSC compartment of New Zealand White rabbits. No immunosuppressants were used. Transplanted cells were spread across the EVSC covering over 80 percent of the subretinal surface. No cells were detected in the sclera. Cells were retained in the EVSC compartment 10 weeks following transplantation. Spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) and histopathology analysis demonstrated no choroidal hemorrhages, retinal detachment, inflammation, or any untoward pathological reactions in any of transplanted eyes or in the control noninjected contralateral eyes. No reduction in retinal function was recorded by electroretinogram up to 10 weeks following transplantation. This study demonstrates the feasibility and safety of transplanting hBMSCs in the EVSC compartment in a large eye model of rabbits.
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32
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Rotenstreich Y, Tzameret A, Kalish SE, Bubis E, Belkin M, Moroz I, Rosner M, Levy I, Margel S, Sher I. A minimally invasive adjustable-depth blunt injector for delivery of pharmaceuticals into the posterior pole. Acta Ophthalmol 2017; 95:e197-e205. [PMID: 27778476 DOI: 10.1111/aos.13238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2016] [Accepted: 07/25/2016] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE To investigate the feasibility and safety of a novel minimally invasive adjustable-depth blunt injector for pharmaceuticals delivery into the posterior segment. METHODS Indocyanine green (ICG), sodium fluorescein and iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) were injected using the new injector into the extravascular spaces of the choroid (EVSC) compartment of rabbits and cadaver pig eyes. Spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT), fundus imaging and histology analysis were performed for assessment of injection safety and efficacy. RESULTS Indocyanine green, fluorescein and IONPs were detected across the EVSC in rabbit eyes, covering over 80 per cent of the posterior eye surface. Injected IONPs were retained in the EVSC for at least 2 weeks following injection. No retinal detachment, choroidal haemorrhage or inflammation was detected in any of the injected eyes. In cadaver pig eyes, ICG was detected across the EVSC. CONCLUSIONS This novel minimally invasive delivery system may be used to safely deliver large volumes of pharmaceuticals into a new treatment reservoir compartment - the EVSC which can serve as a depot, in close proximity to the retina, covering most of the surface of the back of the eye without insertion of surgical instruments under the central retina. This system is predicted to enhance the therapeutic effect of treatments for posterior eye disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ygal Rotenstreich
- Sheba Medical Center; The Maurice and Gabriela Goldschleger Eye Institute; Tel Hashomer Israel
- The Sackler School of Medicine; Tel Aviv University; Tel Aviv Israel
| | - Adi Tzameret
- Sheba Medical Center; The Maurice and Gabriela Goldschleger Eye Institute; Tel Hashomer Israel
- The Sackler School of Medicine; Tel Aviv University; Tel Aviv Israel
| | - Sapir E. Kalish
- Sheba Medical Center; The Maurice and Gabriela Goldschleger Eye Institute; Tel Hashomer Israel
- The Sackler School of Medicine; Tel Aviv University; Tel Aviv Israel
| | - Ettel Bubis
- Sheba Medical Center; The Maurice and Gabriela Goldschleger Eye Institute; Tel Hashomer Israel
- The Sackler School of Medicine; Tel Aviv University; Tel Aviv Israel
| | - Michael Belkin
- Sheba Medical Center; The Maurice and Gabriela Goldschleger Eye Institute; Tel Hashomer Israel
- The Sackler School of Medicine; Tel Aviv University; Tel Aviv Israel
| | - Iris Moroz
- Sheba Medical Center; The Maurice and Gabriela Goldschleger Eye Institute; Tel Hashomer Israel
| | - Mordechai Rosner
- Sheba Medical Center; The Maurice and Gabriela Goldschleger Eye Institute; Tel Hashomer Israel
- The Sackler School of Medicine; Tel Aviv University; Tel Aviv Israel
| | - Itay Levy
- Department of Chemistry; Bar-Ilan Institute of Nanotechnology and Advanced Materials; Ramat-Gan Israel
| | - Shlomo Margel
- Department of Chemistry; Bar-Ilan Institute of Nanotechnology and Advanced Materials; Ramat-Gan Israel
| | - Ifat Sher
- Sheba Medical Center; The Maurice and Gabriela Goldschleger Eye Institute; Tel Hashomer Israel
- The Sackler School of Medicine; Tel Aviv University; Tel Aviv Israel
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Abstract
As our understanding of the genetic basis for inherited retinal disease has expanded, gene therapy has advanced into clinical development. When the gene mutations associated with inherited retinal dystrophies were identified, it became possible to create animal models in which individual gene were altered to match the human mutations. The retina of these animals were then characterized to assess whether the mutated genes produced retinal phenotypes characteristic of disease-affected patients. Following the identification of a subpopulation of patients with the affected gene and the development of techniques for the viral gene transduction of retinal cells, it has become possible to deliver a copy of the normal gene into the retinal sites of the mutated genes. When this was performed in animal models of monogenic diseases, at an early stage of retinal degeneration when the affected cells remained viable, successful gene augmentation corrected the structural and functional lesions characteristic of the specific diseases in the areas of the retina that were successfully transduced. These studies provided the essential proof-of-concept needed to advance monogenic gene therapies into clinic development; these therapies include treatments for: Leber's congenital amaurosis type 2, caused by mutations to RPE65, retinoid isomerohydrolase; choroideremia, caused by mutations to REP1, Rab escort protein 1; autosomal recessive Stargardt disease, caused by mutations to ABCA4, the photoreceptor-specific ATP-binding transporter; Usher 1B disease caused by mutations to MYO7A, myosin heavy chain 7; X-linked juvenile retinoschisis caused by mutations to RS1, retinoschisin; autosomal recessive retinitis pigmentosa caused by mutations to MERTK, the proto-oncogene tyrosine-protein kinase MER; Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy caused by mutations to ND4, mitochondrial nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide ubiquinone oxidoreductase (complex I) subunit 4 and achromatopsia, caused by mutations to CNGA3, cyclic nucleotide-gated channel alpha 3 and CNGB3, cyclic nucleotide-gated channel beta 3. This review includes a tabulated summary of treatments for these monogenic retinal dystrophies that have entered into clinical development, as well as a brief summary of the preclinical data that supported their advancement into clinical development.
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Optical Coherence Tomography of Retinal Degeneration in Royal College of Surgeons Rats and Its Correlation with Morphology and Electroretinography. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0162835. [PMID: 27644042 PMCID: PMC5028068 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0162835] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2016] [Accepted: 08/29/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose To evaluate the correlation between optical coherence tomography (OCT) and the histological, ultrastructural and electroretinography (ERG) findings of retinal degeneration in Royal College of Surgeons (RCS-/-) rats. Materials and Methods Using OCT, we qualitatively and quantitatively observed the continual retinal degeneration in RCS-/- rats, from postnatal (PN) day 17 until PN day 111. These findings were compared with the corresponding histological, electron microscopic, and ERG findings. We also compared them to OCT findings in wild type RCS+/+ rats, which were used as controls. Results After PN day 17, the hyperreflective band at the apical side of the photoreceptor layer became blurred. The inner segment (IS) ellipsoid zone then became obscured, and the photoreceptor IS and outer segment (OS) layers became diffusely hyperreflective after PN day 21. These changes correlated with histological and electron microscopic findings showing extracellular lamellar material that accumulated in the photoreceptor OS layer. After PN day 26, the outer nuclear layer became significantly thinner (P < 0.01) and hyperreflective compared with that in the controls; conversely, the photoreceptor IS and OS layers, as well as the inner retinal layers, became significantly thicker (P < 0.001 and P = 0.05, respectively). The apical hyperreflective band, as well as the IS ellipsoid zone, gradually disappeared between PN day 20 and PN day 30; concurrently, the ERG a- and b-wave amplitudes deteriorated. In contrast, the thicknesses of the combined retinal pigment epithelium and choroid did not differ significantly between RCS-/- and RCS+/+ rats. Conclusion Our results suggest that OCT demonstrates histologically validated photoreceptor degeneration in RCS rats, and that OCT findings partly correlate with ERG findings. We propose that OCT is a less invasive and useful method for evaluating photoreceptor degeneration in animal models of retinitis pigmentosa.
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Hanif AM, Kim MK, Thomas JG, Ciavatta VT, Chrenek M, Hetling JR, Pardue MT. Whole-eye electrical stimulation therapy preserves visual function and structure in P23H-1 rats. Exp Eye Res 2016; 149:75-83. [PMID: 27327393 DOI: 10.1016/j.exer.2016.06.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2015] [Revised: 06/14/2016] [Accepted: 06/16/2016] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Low-level electrical stimulation to the eye has been shown to be neuroprotective against retinal degeneration in both human and animal subjects, using approaches such as subretinal implants and transcorneal electrical stimulation. In this study, we investigated the benefits of whole-eye electrical stimulation (WES) in a rodent model of retinitis pigmentosa. Transgenic rats with a P23H-1 rhodopsin mutation were treated with 30 min of low-level electrical stimulation (4 μA at 5 Hz; n = 10) or sham stimulation (Sham group; n = 15), twice per week, from 4 to 24 weeks of age. Retinal and visual functions were assessed every 4 weeks using electroretinography and optokinetic tracking, respectively. At the final time point, eyes were enucleated and processed for histology. Separate cohorts were stimulated once for 30 min, and retinal tissue harvested at 1 h and 24 h post-stimulation for real-time PCR detection of growth factors and inflammatory and apoptotic markers. At all time-points after treatment, WES-treated rat eyes exhibited significantly higher spatial frequency thresholds than untreated eyes. Inner retinal function, as measured by ERG oscillatory potentials (OPs), showed significantly improved OP amplitudes at 8 and 12 weeks post-WES compared to Sham eyes. Additionally, while photoreceptor segment and nuclei thicknesses in P23H-1 rats did not change between treatment groups, WES-treated eyes had significantly greater numbers of retinal ganglion cell nuclei than Sham eyes at 20 weeks post-WES. Gene expression levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), caspase 3, fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2), and glutamine synthetase (GS) were significantly higher at 1 h, but not 24 h after WES treatment. Our findings suggest that WES has a beneficial effect on visual function in a rat model of retinal degeneration and that post-receptoral neurons may be particularly responsive to electrical stimulation therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam M Hanif
- Department of Ophthalmology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA; Center for Visual and Neurocognitive Rehabilitation, Atlanta VA Medical Center, Decatur, GA, USA
| | - Moon K Kim
- Department of Ophthalmology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA; Center for Visual and Neurocognitive Rehabilitation, Atlanta VA Medical Center, Decatur, GA, USA
| | - Joel G Thomas
- Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Vincent T Ciavatta
- Center for Visual and Neurocognitive Rehabilitation, Atlanta VA Medical Center, Decatur, GA, USA
| | - Micah Chrenek
- Department of Ophthalmology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - John R Hetling
- Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Machelle T Pardue
- Department of Ophthalmology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA; Center for Visual and Neurocognitive Rehabilitation, Atlanta VA Medical Center, Decatur, GA, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA.
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Murray SF, Jazayeri A, Matthes MT, Yasumura D, Yang H, Peralta R, Watt A, Freier S, Hung G, Adamson PS, Guo S, Monia BP, LaVail MM, McCaleb ML. Allele-Specific Inhibition of Rhodopsin With an Antisense Oligonucleotide Slows Photoreceptor Cell Degeneration. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2016; 56:6362-75. [PMID: 26436889 DOI: 10.1167/iovs.15-16400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE To preserve photoreceptor cell structure and function in a rodent model of retinitis pigmentosa with P23H rhodopsin by selective inhibition of the mutant rhodopsin allele using a second generation antisense oligonucleotide (ASO). METHODS Wild-type mice and rats were treated with ASO by intravitreal (IVT) injection and rhodopsin mRNA and protein expression were measured. Transgenic rats expressing the murine P23H rhodopsin gene (P23H transgenic rat Line 1) were administered either a mouse-specific P23H ASO or a control ASO. The contralateral eye was injected with PBS and used as a comparator control. Electroretinography (ERG) measurements and analyses of the retinal outer nuclear layer were conducted and correlated with rhodopsin mRNA levels. RESULTS Rhodopsin mRNA and protein expression was reduced after a single ASO injection in wild-type mice with a rhodopsin-specific ASO. Transgenic rat eyes that express a murine P23H rhodopsin gene injected with a murine P23H ASO had a 181 ± 39% better maximum amplitude response (scotopic a-wave) as compared with contralateral PBS-injected eyes; the response in control ASO eyes was not significantly different from comparator contralateral eyes. Morphometric analysis of the outer nuclear layer showed a significantly thicker nuclear layer in eyes injected with murine P23H ASO (18%) versus contralateral PBS-injected eyes. CONCLUSIONS Allele-specific ASO-mediated knockdown of mutant P23H rhodopsin expression slowed the rate of photoreceptor degeneration and preserved the function of photoreceptor cells in eyes of the P23H rhodopsin transgenic rat. Our data indicate that ASO treatment is a potentially effective therapy for the treatment of retinitis pigmentosa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susan F Murray
- Isis Pharmaceuticals Carlsbad, California, United States
| | - Ali Jazayeri
- Isis Pharmaceuticals Carlsbad, California, United States
| | - Michael T Matthes
- University of California at San Francisco School of Medicine, Beckman Vision Center, San Francisco, California, United States
| | - Douglas Yasumura
- University of California at San Francisco School of Medicine, Beckman Vision Center, San Francisco, California, United States
| | - Haidong Yang
- University of California at San Francisco School of Medicine, Beckman Vision Center, San Francisco, California, United States
| | | | - Andy Watt
- Isis Pharmaceuticals Carlsbad, California, United States
| | - Sue Freier
- Isis Pharmaceuticals Carlsbad, California, United States
| | - Gene Hung
- Isis Pharmaceuticals Carlsbad, California, United States
| | | | - Shuling Guo
- Isis Pharmaceuticals Carlsbad, California, United States
| | - Brett P Monia
- Isis Pharmaceuticals Carlsbad, California, United States
| | - Matthew M LaVail
- University of California at San Francisco School of Medicine, Beckman Vision Center, San Francisco, California, United States
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