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Agarwal D, Dash N, Mazo KW, Chopra M, Avila MP, Patel A, Wong RM, Jia C, Do H, Cheng J, Chiang C, Jurlina SL, Roshan M, Perry MW, Rho JM, Broyer R, Lee CD, Weinreb RN, Gavrilovici C, Oesch NW, Welsbie DS, Wahlin KJ. Human retinal ganglion cell neurons generated by synchronous BMP inhibition and transcription factor mediated reprogramming. NPJ Regen Med 2023; 8:55. [PMID: 37773257 PMCID: PMC10541876 DOI: 10.1038/s41536-023-00327-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2022] [Accepted: 08/31/2023] [Indexed: 10/01/2023] Open
Abstract
In optic neuropathies, including glaucoma, retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) die. Cell transplantation and endogenous regeneration offer strategies for retinal repair, however, developmental programs required for this to succeed are incompletely understood. To address this, we explored cellular reprogramming with transcription factor (TF) regulators of RGC development which were integrated into human pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) as inducible gene cassettes. When the pioneer factor NEUROG2 was combined with RGC-expressed TFs (ATOH7, ISL1, and POU4F2) some conversion was observed and when pre-patterned by BMP inhibition, RGC-like induced neurons (RGC-iNs) were generated with high efficiency in just under a week. These exhibited transcriptional profiles that were reminiscent of RGCs and exhibited electrophysiological properties, including AMPA-mediated synaptic transmission. Additionally, we demonstrated that small molecule inhibitors of DLK/LZK and GCK-IV can block neuronal death in two pharmacological axon injury models. Combining developmental patterning with RGC-specific TFs thus provided valuable insight into strategies for cell replacement and neuroprotection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Devansh Agarwal
- Shu Chien-Gene Lay Department of Bioengineering, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Viterbi Family Department of Ophthalmology & the Shiley Eye Institute, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Nicholas Dash
- Viterbi Family Department of Ophthalmology & the Shiley Eye Institute, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Kevin W Mazo
- Viterbi Family Department of Ophthalmology & the Shiley Eye Institute, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Manan Chopra
- Viterbi Family Department of Ophthalmology & the Shiley Eye Institute, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Maria P Avila
- Viterbi Family Department of Ophthalmology & the Shiley Eye Institute, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Amit Patel
- Viterbi Family Department of Ophthalmology & the Shiley Eye Institute, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Ryan M Wong
- Viterbi Family Department of Ophthalmology & the Shiley Eye Institute, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Cairang Jia
- Viterbi Family Department of Ophthalmology & the Shiley Eye Institute, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Hope Do
- Viterbi Family Department of Ophthalmology & the Shiley Eye Institute, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Jie Cheng
- Department of Ophthalmology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Colette Chiang
- Viterbi Family Department of Ophthalmology & the Shiley Eye Institute, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Shawna L Jurlina
- Viterbi Family Department of Ophthalmology & the Shiley Eye Institute, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Mona Roshan
- Viterbi Family Department of Ophthalmology & the Shiley Eye Institute, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Michael W Perry
- Department of Biological Sciences, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Jong M Rho
- Department of Neurosciences, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Risa Broyer
- Viterbi Family Department of Ophthalmology & the Shiley Eye Institute, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Cassidy D Lee
- Viterbi Family Department of Ophthalmology & the Shiley Eye Institute, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Robert N Weinreb
- Viterbi Family Department of Ophthalmology & the Shiley Eye Institute, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | | | - Nicholas W Oesch
- Viterbi Family Department of Ophthalmology & the Shiley Eye Institute, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Department of Psychology, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Derek S Welsbie
- Viterbi Family Department of Ophthalmology & the Shiley Eye Institute, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Karl J Wahlin
- Viterbi Family Department of Ophthalmology & the Shiley Eye Institute, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
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2
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Liou RHC, Chen SW, Cheng HC, Wu PC, Chang YF, Wang AG, Fann MJ, Wong YH. The efficient induction of human retinal ganglion-like cells provides a platform for studying optic neuropathies. Cell Mol Life Sci 2023; 80:239. [PMID: 37540379 PMCID: PMC10403410 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-023-04890-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2023] [Revised: 06/29/2023] [Accepted: 07/19/2023] [Indexed: 08/05/2023]
Abstract
Retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) are essential for vision perception. In glaucoma and other optic neuropathies, RGCs and their optic axons undergo degenerative change and cell death; this can result in irreversible vision loss. Here we developed a rapid protocol for directly inducing RGC differentiation from human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) by the overexpression of ATOH7, BRN3B, and SOX4. The hiPSC-derived RGC-like cells (iRGCs) show robust expression of various RGC-specific markers by whole transcriptome profiling. A functional assessment was also carried out and this demonstrated that these iRGCs display stimulus-induced neuronal activity, as well as spontaneous neuronal activity. Ethambutol (EMB), an effective first-line anti-tuberculosis agent, is known to cause serious visual impairment and irreversible vision loss due to the RGC degeneration in a significant number of treated patients. Using our iRGCs, EMB was found to induce significant dose-dependent and time-dependent increases in cell death and neurite degeneration. Western blot analysis revealed that the expression levels of p62 and LC3-II were upregulated, and further investigations revealed that EMB caused a blockade of lysosome-autophagosome fusion; this indicates that impairment of autophagic flux is one of the adverse effects of that EMB has on iRGCs. In addition, EMB was found to elevate intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels increasing apoptotic cell death. This could be partially rescued by the co-treatment with the ROS scavenger NAC. Taken together, our findings suggest that this iRGC model, which achieves both high yield and high purity, is suitable for investigating optic neuropathies, as well as being useful when searching for potential drugs for therapeutic treatment and/or disease prevention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roxanne Hsiang-Chi Liou
- Department of Life Sciences and Institute of Genome Sciences, College of Life Sciences, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, 112, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Shih-Wei Chen
- Brain Research Center, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, 112, Taiwan, ROC
- Department of Life Sciences and Institute of Genome Sciences, College of Life Sciences, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, 112, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Hui-Chen Cheng
- Brain Research Center, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, 112, Taiwan, ROC
- Department of Life Sciences and Institute of Genome Sciences, College of Life Sciences, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, 112, Taiwan, ROC
- Department of Ophthalmology, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, 112, Taiwan, ROC
- Department of Ophthalmology, School of Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, 112, Taiwan, ROC
- Program in Molecular Medicine, College of Life Sciences, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Pei-Chun Wu
- Brain Research Center, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, 112, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Yu-Fen Chang
- LumiSTAR Biotechnology, Inc., Taipei, 115, Taiwan, ROC
| | - An-Guor Wang
- Department of Ophthalmology, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, 112, Taiwan, ROC
- Department of Ophthalmology, School of Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, 112, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Ming-Ji Fann
- Brain Research Center, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, 112, Taiwan, ROC
- Department of Life Sciences and Institute of Genome Sciences, College of Life Sciences, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, 112, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Yu-Hui Wong
- Brain Research Center, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, 112, Taiwan, ROC.
- Department of Life Sciences and Institute of Genome Sciences, College of Life Sciences, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, 112, Taiwan, ROC.
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3
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Rizkiawan DE, Evelyn M, Tjandra KC, Setiawan B. Utilization of Modified Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells as the Advance Therapy of Glaucoma: A Systematic Review. Clin Ophthalmol 2022; 16:2851-2859. [PMID: 36061629 PMCID: PMC9439642 DOI: 10.2147/opth.s372114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Glaucoma is an optic neuropathy disease that causes cupping of the optic disc and decreased visual field. Glaucoma is still the second leading cause of blindness globally, with a worldwide prevalence of more than 76 million people in 2020. However, no therapy can cure glaucoma completely, especially when optic nerve damage has occurred. Available treatments only play a role in keeping the intraocular pressure stable This research aims to determine the potential use of modified stem cell therapy to treat intraocular damage in glaucoma cases. Literature research was conducted by involving seven online databases, namely Pubmed, ScienceDirect®, Proquest, EBSCOhost®, SAGE®, Clinicalkey®, and Scopus, published between 2010–2020 with the keywords stem cells; therapy; glaucoma; optic nerve. Six articles were selected, and out of the six articles, all writings were experimental research. The entire literature states that modified stem cell therapy has the potential as a therapeutic option in treating intraocular damage in patients with glaucoma. Based on the systematic literature review that has been carried out, it is known that stem cell therapy has the potential to be a therapeutic option in treating glaucoma cases. Much more research is needed to assess the effectiveness of modified stem cell therapy in managing intraocular damage due to glaucoma.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Malinda Evelyn
- Faculty of Medicine, Diponegoro University, Semarang, Central Java, Indonesia
| | | | - Budi Setiawan
- Department of Internal Medicine, Diponegoro University, Semarang, Central Java, Indonesia
- Correspondence: Budi Setiawan, Department of Internal Medicine, Diponegoro University, Jl. Badak Raya 74, Kota Semarang, Central Java, Indonesia, 50167, Tel +6285865118118, Fax +622467412115, Email
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Mut SR, Mishra S, Vazquez M. A Microfluidic Eye Facsimile System to Examine the Migration of Stem-like Cells. MICROMACHINES 2022; 13:mi13030406. [PMID: 35334698 PMCID: PMC8954941 DOI: 10.3390/mi13030406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2022] [Revised: 02/24/2022] [Accepted: 02/24/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Millions of adults are affected by progressive vision loss worldwide. The rising incidence of retinal diseases can be attributed to damage or degeneration of neurons that convert light into electrical signals for vision. Contemporary cell replacement therapies have transplanted stem and progenitor-like cells (SCs) into adult retinal tissue to replace damaged neurons and restore the visual neural network. However, the inability of SCs to migrate to targeted areas remains a fundamental challenge. Current bioengineering projects aim to integrate microfluidic technologies with organotypic cultures to examine SC behaviors within biomimetic environments. The application of neural phantoms, or eye facsimiles, in such systems will greatly aid the study of SC migratory behaviors in 3D. This project developed a bioengineering system, called the μ-Eye, to stimulate and examine the migration of retinal SCs within eye facsimiles using external chemical and electrical stimuli. Results illustrate that the imposed fields stimulated large, directional SC migration into eye facsimiles, and that electro-chemotactic stimuli produced significantly larger increases in cell migration than the individual stimuli combined. These findings highlight the significance of microfluidic systems in the development of approaches that apply external fields for neural repair and promote migration-targeted strategies for retinal cell replacement therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen Ryan Mut
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, 599 Taylor Rd, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA;
| | - Shawn Mishra
- Regeneron, 777 Old Saw Mill River Rd, Tarrytown, NY 10591, USA;
| | - Maribel Vazquez
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, 599 Taylor Rd, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA;
- Correspondence:
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5
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In vitro disease modeling of oculocutaneous albinism type 1 and 2 using human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived retinal pigment epithelium. Stem Cell Reports 2022; 17:173-186. [PMID: 35021041 PMCID: PMC8758966 DOI: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2021.11.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2021] [Revised: 11/29/2021] [Accepted: 11/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Oculocutaneous albinism (OCA) encompasses a set of autosomal recessive genetic conditions that affect pigmentation in the eye, skin, and hair. OCA patients display reduced best-corrected visual acuity, reduced to absent ocular pigmentation, abnormalities in fovea development, and/or abnormal decussation of optic nerve fibers. It has been hypothesized that improving eye pigmentation could prevent or rescue some of the vision defects. The goal of the present study was to develop an in vitro model for studying pigmentation defects in human retinal pigment epithelium (RPE). We developed a “disease in a dish” model for OCA1A and OCA2 types using induced pluripotent stem cells to generate RPE. The RPE is a monolayer of cells that are pigmented, polarized, and polygonal in shape, located between the neural retina and choroid, with an important role in vision. Here we show that RPE tissue derived in vitro from OCA patients recapitulates the pigmentation defects seen in albinism, while retaining the apical-basal polarity and normal polygonal morphology of the constituent RPE cells. We established a human iPSC-based in vitro model for oculocutaneous albinism (OCA) iRPE derived from OCA-iPSC retains apical-basal polarity and polygonal morphology OCA-iRPE recapitulates the pigmentation defect seen in albinism Excess pre-melanosomes and scarce mature melanosomes are found in OCA-iRPE
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Guy B, Zhang JS, Duncan LH, Johnston RJ. Human neural organoids: Models for developmental neurobiology and disease. Dev Biol 2021; 478:102-121. [PMID: 34181916 PMCID: PMC8364509 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2021.06.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2021] [Revised: 06/08/2021] [Accepted: 06/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Human organoids stand at the forefront of basic and translational research, providing experimentally tractable systems to study human development and disease. These stem cell-derived, in vitro cultures can generate a multitude of tissue and organ types, including distinct brain regions and sensory systems. Neural organoid systems have provided fundamental insights into molecular mechanisms governing cell fate specification and neural circuit assembly and serve as promising tools for drug discovery and understanding disease pathogenesis. In this review, we discuss several human neural organoid systems, how they are generated, advances in 3D imaging and bioengineering, and the impact of organoid studies on our understanding of the human nervous system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian Guy
- Department of Biology, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA
| | - Jingliang Simon Zhang
- Department of Biology, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA
| | - Leighton H Duncan
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Robert J Johnston
- Department of Biology, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA.
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7
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Pérez-Dones D, Ledesma-Terrón M, Míguez DG. Quantitative Approaches to Study Retinal Neurogenesis. Biomedicines 2021; 9:1222. [PMID: 34572408 PMCID: PMC8471905 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines9091222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2021] [Revised: 09/07/2021] [Accepted: 09/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The study of the development of the vertebrate retina can be addressed from several perspectives: from a purely qualitative to a more quantitative approach that takes into account its spatio-temporal features, its three-dimensional structure and also the regulation and properties at the systems level. Here, we review the ongoing transition toward a full four-dimensional characterization of the developing vertebrate retina, focusing on the challenges at the experimental, image acquisition, image processing and quantification. Using the developing zebrafish retina, we illustrate how quantitative data extracted from these type of highly dense, three-dimensional tissues depend strongly on the image quality, image processing and algorithms used to segment and quantify. Therefore, we propose that the scientific community that focuses on developmental systems could strongly benefit from a more detailed disclosure of the tools and pipelines used to process and analyze images from biological samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diego Pérez-Dones
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28049 Madrid, Spain
- Física de la Materia Condensada (IFIMAC), Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28049 Madrid, Spain
| | - Mario Ledesma-Terrón
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28049 Madrid, Spain
- Física de la Materia Condensada (IFIMAC), Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28049 Madrid, Spain
| | - David G Míguez
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28049 Madrid, Spain
- Física de la Materia Condensada (IFIMAC), Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28049 Madrid, Spain
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Retinal Ganglion Cell Transplantation: Approaches for Overcoming Challenges to Functional Integration. Cells 2021; 10:cells10061426. [PMID: 34200991 PMCID: PMC8228580 DOI: 10.3390/cells10061426] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2021] [Revised: 06/01/2021] [Accepted: 06/03/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
As part of the central nervous system, mammalian retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) lack significant regenerative capacity. Glaucoma causes progressive and irreversible vision loss by damaging RGCs and their axons, which compose the optic nerve. To functionally restore vision, lost RGCs must be replaced. Despite tremendous advancements in experimental models of optic neuropathy that have elucidated pathways to induce endogenous RGC neuroprotection and axon regeneration, obstacles to achieving functional visual recovery through exogenous RGC transplantation remain. Key challenges include poor graft survival, low donor neuron localization to the host retina, and inadequate dendritogenesis and synaptogenesis with afferent amacrine and bipolar cells. In this review, we summarize the current state of experimental RGC transplantation, and we propose a set of standard approaches to quantifying and reporting experimental outcomes in order to guide a collective effort to advance the field toward functional RGC replacement and optic nerve regeneration.
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Zhang KY, Johnson TV. The internal limiting membrane: Roles in retinal development and implications for emerging ocular therapies. Exp Eye Res 2021; 206:108545. [PMID: 33753089 DOI: 10.1016/j.exer.2021.108545] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2021] [Revised: 03/02/2021] [Accepted: 03/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Basement membranes help to establish, maintain, and separate their associated tissues. They also provide growth and signaling substrates for nearby resident cells. The internal limiting membrane (ILM) is the basement membrane at the ocular vitreoretinal interface. While the ILM is essential for normal retinal development, it is dispensable in adulthood. Moreover, the ILM may constitute a significant barrier to emerging ocular therapeutics, such as viral gene therapy or stem cell transplantation. Here we take a neurodevelopmental perspective in examining how retinal neurons, glia, and vasculature interact with individual extracellular matrix constituents at the ILM. In addition, we review evidence that the ILM may impede novel ocular therapies and discuss approaches for achieving retinal parenchymal targeting of gene vectors and cell transplants delivered into the vitreous cavity by manipulating interactions with the ILM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Y Zhang
- Glaucoma Center of Excellence, Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 600 North Wolfe Street, Maumenee B-110, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA
| | - Thomas V Johnson
- Glaucoma Center of Excellence, Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 600 North Wolfe Street, Maumenee B-110, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA.
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10
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Liu Y, Lee RK. Cell transplantation to replace retinal ganglion cells faces challenges - the Switchboard Dilemma. Neural Regen Res 2021; 16:1138-1143. [PMID: 33269762 PMCID: PMC8224141 DOI: 10.4103/1673-5374.300329] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
Abstract
The mammalian retina displays incomplete intrinsic regenerative capacities; therefore, retina degeneration is a major cause of irreversible blindness such as glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy. These diseases lead to the loss of retinal cells and serious vision loss in the late stage. Stem cell transplantation is a great promising novel treatment for these incurable retinal degenerative diseases and represents an exciting area of regenerative neurotherapy. Several suitable stem cell sources for transplantation including human embryonic stem cells, induced pluripotent stem cells and adult stem cells have been identified as promising target populations. However, the retina is an elegant neuronal complex composed of various types of cells with different functions. The replacement of these different types of cells by transplantation should be addressed separately. So far, retinal pigment epithelium transplantation has achieved the most advanced stage of clinical trials, while transplantation of retinal neurons such as retinal ganglion cells and photoreceptors has been mostly studied in pre-clinical animal models. In this review, we opine on the key problems that need to be addressed before stem cells transplantation, especially for replacing injured retinal ganglion cells, may be used practically for treatment. A key problem we have called the Switchboard Dilemma is a major block to have functional retinal ganglion cell replacement. We use the public switchboard telephone network as an example to illustrate different difficulties for replacing damaged components in the retina that allow for visual signaling. Retinal ganglion cell transplantation is confronted by significant hurdles, because retinal ganglion cells receive signals from different interneurons, integrate and send signals to the correct targets of the visual system, which functions similar to the switchboard in a telephone network – therefore the Switchboard Dilemma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan Liu
- Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Richard K Lee
- Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
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Peavey J, Malek G. Cell Line Authentication in Vision Research and Beyond: A Tale Retold. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2021; 61:19. [PMID: 32516405 PMCID: PMC7415283 DOI: 10.1167/iovs.61.6.19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
We live in an age where new technologies, and organizations involved in the distribution of biological materials, such as cell culture lines, have eased accessibility to a variety of in vitro models, developed, and/or harvested from different sources. In translational and basic ophthalmology research, in vitro assays are an essential component to discovery and preclinical studies. It is, therefore, of utmost importance for vision researchers to be cognizant of the risks surrounding the use of newly developed cell culture models and how scientific integrity could be impacted when standard operating procedures are not followed for cell line validation and identification. Herein, we discuss authentication challenges we faced when we obtained a newly marketed human choroidal endothelial cell line for vision research, and outline our process of validating and characterizing primary human choroidal endothelial cell lines in the laboratory.
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12
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Tjandra I, Soeharso P, Artini W, Siregar NC, Victor AA. Ganglion cells apoptosis in diabetic rats as early prediction of glaucoma: a study of Brn3b gene expression and association with change of quantity of NO, caspase-3, NF-κB, and TNF-α. Int J Ophthalmol 2020; 13:1872-1879. [PMID: 33344184 PMCID: PMC7708361 DOI: 10.18240/ijo.2020.12.05] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2020] [Accepted: 08/18/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
AIM To find a new concept to show whether or not apoptosis of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) can be determined in the histology of acute hyperglycemia in the role of expressed Brn3b gene related to nitric oxide (NO), caspase-3, nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) as an early predictor of primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) eyes and their associations. METHODS Experimental in vivo study was carried out using adult male, white Sprague-Dawley rats aged ≥2mo, weighing 150-200 g. The animals were divided into two groups, one group receiving intraperitoneal injection of streptozotociz 50 mg/kg in 0.01 mol/L citric buffer and pH 4.5 and a comparison made with the control group. Retinal tissue was divided into two parts (both experimental and control groups respectively): a) right retina for immunohistochemistry (IHC; caspase-3 and TNF-α); b) left retina was divided into two parts for the purpose of real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test (RNA extraction for Brn3b gene expression analysis) and ELISA test (NO and NF-κB). RESULTS The experimental group showed a decrease in Brn3b gene expression compared to the control group (1.3-fold lower in 2nd month; 1.1-fold lower in 4th month and 2.5-fold lower in 6th month). However, there was a decrease of NO, caspase-3, and an increase of NF-κB and TNF-α quantity. CONCLUSION The expression of mRNA Brn3b gene is inversely proportional to apoptosis in RGCs. The quantity of NO, caspase-3, NF-κB and TNF-α is influential in expression of Brn3b in RGCs caused by hyperglycemia in diabetic rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irwan Tjandra
- Department of Biomedical Science, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Indonesia, Jakarta 12930, Indonesia
| | - Purnomo Soeharso
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Indonesia, Jakarta 12930, Indonesia
| | - Widya Artini
- Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Indonesia, Jakarta 12930, Indonesia
| | - Nurjati Chairani Siregar
- Department of Anatomic Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Indonesia, Jakarta 12930, Indonesia
| | - Andi Arus Victor
- Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Indonesia, Jakarta 12930, Indonesia
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Freude KK, Saruhanian S, McCauley A, Paterson C, Odette M, Oostenink A, Hyttel P, Gillies M, Haukedal H, Kolko M. Enrichment of retinal ganglion and Müller glia progenitors from retinal organoids derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells - possibilities and current limitations. World J Stem Cells 2020; 12:1171-1183. [PMID: 33178399 PMCID: PMC7596448 DOI: 10.4252/wjsc.v12.i10.1171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2020] [Revised: 07/03/2020] [Accepted: 08/16/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Retinal organoids serve as excellent human-specific disease models for conditions affecting otherwise inaccessible retinal tissue from patients. They permit the isolation of key cell types affected in various eye diseases including retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) and Müller glia.
AIM To refine human-induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) differentiated into three-dimensional (3D) retinal organoids to generate sufficient numbers of RGCs and Müller glia progenitors for downstream analyses.
METHODS In this study we described, evaluated, and refined methods with which to generate Müller glia and RGC progenitors, isolated them via magnetic-activated cell sorting, and assessed their lineage stability after prolonged 2D culture. Putative progenitor populations were characterized via quantitative PCR and immunocytochemistry, and the ultrastructural composition of retinal organoid cells was investigated.
RESULTS Our study confirms the feasibility of generating marker-characterized Müller glia and RGC progenitors within retinal organoids. Such retinal organoids can be dissociated and the Müller glia and RGC progenitor-like cells isolated via magnetic-activated cell sorting and propagated as monolayers.
CONCLUSION Enrichment of Müller glia and RGC progenitors from retinal organoids is a feasible method with which to study cell type-specific disease phenotypes and to potentially generate specific retinal populations for cell replacement therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristine Karla Freude
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Group of Stem Cell Models for Studies of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Section for Pathobiological Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg 1870, Denmark
| | - Sarkis Saruhanian
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen 2100, Denmark
| | - Alanna McCauley
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Group of Stem Cell Models for Studies of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Section for Pathobiological Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg 1870, Denmark
| | - Colton Paterson
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Group of Stem Cell Models for Studies of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Section for Pathobiological Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg 1870, Denmark
| | - Madeleine Odette
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Group of Stem Cell Models for Studies of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Section for Pathobiological Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg 1870, Denmark
| | - Annika Oostenink
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Group of Stem Cell Models for Studies of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Section for Pathobiological Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg 1870, Denmark
| | - Poul Hyttel
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Group of Stem Cell Models for Studies of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Section for Pathobiological Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg 1870, Denmark
| | - Mark Gillies
- Save Sight Institute, South Block, Sydney Eye Hospital, Sydney 2000, Australia
| | - Henriette Haukedal
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Group of Stem Cell Models for Studies of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Section for Pathobiological Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg 1870, Denmark
| | - Miriam Kolko
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen 2100, Denmark
- Department of Ophthalmology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet-Glostrup, Glostrup 2600, Denmark
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14
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Zaninello M, Palikaras K, Naon D, Iwata K, Herkenne S, Quintana-Cabrera R, Semenzato M, Grespi F, Ross-Cisneros FN, Carelli V, Sadun AA, Tavernarakis N, Scorrano L. Inhibition of autophagy curtails visual loss in a model of autosomal dominant optic atrophy. Nat Commun 2020; 11:4029. [PMID: 32788597 PMCID: PMC7423926 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-17821-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2020] [Accepted: 07/21/2020] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
In autosomal dominant optic atrophy (ADOA), caused by mutations in the mitochondrial cristae biogenesis and fusion protein optic atrophy 1 (Opa1), retinal ganglion cell (RGC) dysfunction and visual loss occur by unknown mechanisms. Here, we show a role for autophagy in ADOA pathogenesis. In RGCs expressing mutated Opa1, active 5’ AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and its autophagy effector ULK1 accumulate at axonal hillocks. This AMPK activation triggers localized hillock autophagosome accumulation and mitophagy, ultimately resulting in reduced axonal mitochondrial content that is restored by genetic inhibition of AMPK and autophagy. In C. elegans, deletion of AMPK or of key autophagy and mitophagy genes normalizes the axonal mitochondrial content that is reduced upon mitochondrial dysfunction. In conditional, RGC specific Opa1-deficient mice, depletion of the essential autophagy gene Atg7 normalizes the excess autophagy and corrects the visual defects caused by Opa1 ablation. Thus, our data identify AMPK and autophagy as targetable components of ADOA pathogenesis. Autosomal dominant optic atrophy is caused by mutations in the mitochondrial fusion protein OPA1. Here, the authors show that AMPK-induced autophagy depletes mitochondria in axons of retinal ganglion cells and that autophagic inhibition reverses vision loss in a mouse model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Zaninello
- Veneto Institute of Molecular Medicine, Via Orus 2, Padova, Italy.,Department of Biology, University of Padova, Via U. Bassi 58B, Padova, Italy.,IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Via Ardeatina 306, Rome, Italy
| | - Konstantinos Palikaras
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas, Heraklion, Crete, Greece.,Department of Basic Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Crete, Heraklion, Crete, Greece
| | - Deborah Naon
- Veneto Institute of Molecular Medicine, Via Orus 2, Padova, Italy.,Department of Biology, University of Padova, Via U. Bassi 58B, Padova, Italy
| | - Keiko Iwata
- Veneto Institute of Molecular Medicine, Via Orus 2, Padova, Italy.,Department of Biology, University of Padova, Via U. Bassi 58B, Padova, Italy
| | - Stephanie Herkenne
- Veneto Institute of Molecular Medicine, Via Orus 2, Padova, Italy.,IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Via Ardeatina 306, Rome, Italy
| | - Ruben Quintana-Cabrera
- Veneto Institute of Molecular Medicine, Via Orus 2, Padova, Italy.,Department of Biology, University of Padova, Via U. Bassi 58B, Padova, Italy
| | - Martina Semenzato
- Veneto Institute of Molecular Medicine, Via Orus 2, Padova, Italy.,Department of Biology, University of Padova, Via U. Bassi 58B, Padova, Italy
| | - Francesca Grespi
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, Via U. Bassi 58B, Padova, Italy
| | | | - Valerio Carelli
- IRCCS Institute of Neurological Sciences of Bologna, Bellaria Hospital, Bologna, Italy.,Unit of Neurology, Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences (DIBINEM), University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Alfredo A Sadun
- Doheny Eye Institute, Los Angeles, CA, USA.,Department of Ophthalmology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Nektarios Tavernarakis
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas, Heraklion, Crete, Greece.,Department of Basic Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Crete, Heraklion, Crete, Greece
| | - Luca Scorrano
- Veneto Institute of Molecular Medicine, Via Orus 2, Padova, Italy. .,Department of Biology, University of Padova, Via U. Bassi 58B, Padova, Italy.
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15
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Yang YP, Nguyen PNN, Lin TC, Yarmishyn AA, Chen WS, Hwang DK, Chiou GY, Lin TW, Chien CS, Tsai CY, Chiou SH, Chen SJ, Peng CH, Hsu CC. Glutamate Stimulation Dysregulates AMPA Receptors-Induced Signal Transduction Pathway in Leber's Inherited Optic Neuropathy Patient-Specific hiPSC-Derived Retinal Ganglion Cells. Cells 2019; 8:cells8060625. [PMID: 31234430 PMCID: PMC6627514 DOI: 10.3390/cells8060625] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2019] [Revised: 06/14/2019] [Accepted: 06/19/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The mitochondrial genetic disorder, Leber’s hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON), is caused by a mutation in MT-ND4 gene, encoding NADH dehydrogenase subunit 4. It leads to the progressive death of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) and causes visual impairment or even blindness. However, the precise mechanisms of LHON disease penetrance and progression are not completely elucidated. Human-induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) offer unique opportunities to investigate disease-relevant phenotypes and regulatory mechanisms underlying LHON pathogenesis at the cellular level. In this study, we successfully generated RGCs by differentiation of LHON patient-specific hiPSCs. We modified the protocol of differentiation to obtain a more enriched population of single-cell RGCs for LHON study. Based on assessing morphology, expression of specific markers and electrophysiological activity, we found that LHON-specific hiPSC-derived were more defective in comparison with normal wild-type RGCs. Based on our previous study, whereby by using microarray analysis we identified that the components of glutamatergic synapse signaling pathway were significantly downregulated in LHON-specific RGCs, we focused our study on glutamate-associated α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazole-4-propionic acid (AMPA) receptors. We found that the protein expression levels of the subunits of the AMPA receptor, GluR1 and GluR2, and their associated scaffold proteins were decreased in LHON-RGCs. By performing the co-immunoprecipitation assay, we found several differences in the efficiencies of interaction between AMPA subunits and scaffold proteins between normal and LHON-specific RGCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi-Ping Yang
- Department of Medical Research, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei 112, Taiwan.
- School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei 112, Taiwan.
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei 112, Taiwan.
| | - Phan Nguyen Nhi Nguyen
- Cancer Center, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei 112, Taiwan.
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Tri-Service General Hospital and National Defense Medical Center, Taipei 114, Taiwan.
| | - Tai-Chi Lin
- School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei 112, Taiwan.
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei 112, Taiwan.
- Department of Ophthalmology, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei 112, Taiwan.
| | - Aliaksandr A Yarmishyn
- Department of Medical Research, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei 112, Taiwan.
- Institute of Pharmacology, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei 112, Taiwan.
| | - Wun-Syuan Chen
- Institute of Pharmacology, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei 112, Taiwan.
| | - De-Kuang Hwang
- School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei 112, Taiwan.
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei 112, Taiwan.
- Department of Ophthalmology, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei 112, Taiwan.
| | - Guang-Yuh Chiou
- Department of Biological Science and Technology, College of Biological Science and Technology, National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu 300, Taiwan.
| | - Tzu-Wei Lin
- Department of Medical Research, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei 112, Taiwan.
| | - Chian-Shiu Chien
- Department of Medical Research, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei 112, Taiwan.
- Institute of Pharmacology, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei 112, Taiwan.
| | - Ching-Yao Tsai
- School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei 112, Taiwan.
- Department of Ophthalmology, Taipei City Hospital, Taipei 103, Taiwan.
| | - Shih-Hwa Chiou
- Department of Medical Research, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei 112, Taiwan.
- Institute of Pharmacology, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei 112, Taiwan.
- Genomic Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei 115, Taiwan.
| | - Shih-Jen Chen
- School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei 112, Taiwan.
- Department of Ophthalmology, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei 112, Taiwan.
| | - Chi-Hsien Peng
- Department of Ophthalmology, Shin Kong Wu Ho-Su Memorial Hospital, Taipei 111, Taiwan.
- Department of Ophthalmology, Fu-Jen Catholic University, Taipei 242, Taiwan.
| | - Chih-Chien Hsu
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei 112, Taiwan.
- Department of Ophthalmology, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei 112, Taiwan.
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