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Cehajic-Kapetanovic J, Singh MS, Zrenner E, MacLaren RE. Bioengineering strategies for restoring vision. Nat Biomed Eng 2023; 7:387-404. [PMID: 35102278 DOI: 10.1038/s41551-021-00836-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2020] [Accepted: 11/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Late-stage retinal degenerative disease involving photoreceptor loss can be treated by optogenetic therapy, cell transplantation and retinal prostheses. These approaches aim to restore light sensitivity to the retina as well as visual perception by integrating neuronal responses for transmission to the cortex. In age-related macular degeneration, some cell-based therapies also aim to restore photoreceptor-supporting tissue to prevent complete photoreceptor loss. In the earlier stages of degeneration, gene-replacement therapy could attenuate retinal-disease progression and reverse loss of function. And gene-editing strategies aim to correct the underlying genetic defects. In this Review, we highlight the most promising gene therapies, cell therapies and retinal prostheses for the treatment of retinal disease, discuss the benefits and drawbacks of each treatment strategy and the factors influencing whether functional tissue is reconstructed and repaired or replaced with an electronic device, and summarize upcoming technologies for enhancing the restoration of vision.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jasmina Cehajic-Kapetanovic
- Nuffield Laboratory of Ophthalmology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
- Oxford Eye Hospital, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, UK.
| | | | - Eberhart Zrenner
- Institute for Ophthalmic Research, Center for Ophthalmology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Robert E MacLaren
- Nuffield Laboratory of Ophthalmology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Oxford Eye Hospital, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, UK
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2
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Karamali F, Behtaj S, Babaei-Abraki S, Hadady H, Atefi A, Savoj S, Soroushzadeh S, Najafian S, Nasr Esfahani MH, Klassen H. Potential therapeutic strategies for photoreceptor degeneration: the path to restore vision. J Transl Med 2022; 20:572. [PMID: 36476500 PMCID: PMC9727916 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-022-03738-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2022] [Accepted: 10/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Photoreceptors (PRs), as the most abundant and light-sensing cells of the neuroretina, are responsible for converting light into electrical signals that can be interpreted by the brain. PR degeneration, including morphological and functional impairment of these cells, causes significant diminution of the retina's ability to detect light, with consequent loss of vision. Recent findings in ocular regenerative medicine have opened promising avenues to apply neuroprotective therapy, gene therapy, cell replacement therapy, and visual prostheses to the challenge of restoring vision. However, successful visual restoration in the clinical setting requires application of these therapeutic approaches at the appropriate stage of the retinal degeneration. In this review, firstly, we discuss the mechanisms of PR degeneration by focusing on the molecular mechanisms underlying cell death. Subsequently, innovations, recent developments, and promising treatments based on the stage of disorder progression are further explored. Then, the challenges to be addressed before implementation of these therapies in clinical practice are considered. Finally, potential solutions to overcome the current limitations of this growing research area are suggested. Overall, the majority of current treatment modalities are still at an early stage of development and require extensive additional studies, both pre-clinical and clinical, before full restoration of visual function in PR degeneration diseases can be realized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fereshteh Karamali
- grid.417689.5Department of Animal Biotechnology, Cell Science Research Center, Royan Institute for Biotechnology, ACECR, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Sanaz Behtaj
- grid.1022.10000 0004 0437 5432Clem Jones Centre for Neurobiology and Stem Cell Research, Griffith University, Queensland, Australia ,grid.1022.10000 0004 0437 5432Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University, Southport, QLD 4222 Australia
| | - Shahnaz Babaei-Abraki
- grid.417689.5Department of Animal Biotechnology, Cell Science Research Center, Royan Institute for Biotechnology, ACECR, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Hanieh Hadady
- grid.417689.5Department of Animal Biotechnology, Cell Science Research Center, Royan Institute for Biotechnology, ACECR, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Atefeh Atefi
- grid.417689.5Department of Animal Biotechnology, Cell Science Research Center, Royan Institute for Biotechnology, ACECR, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Soraya Savoj
- grid.417689.5Department of Animal Biotechnology, Cell Science Research Center, Royan Institute for Biotechnology, ACECR, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Sareh Soroushzadeh
- grid.417689.5Department of Animal Biotechnology, Cell Science Research Center, Royan Institute for Biotechnology, ACECR, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Samaneh Najafian
- grid.417689.5Department of Animal Biotechnology, Cell Science Research Center, Royan Institute for Biotechnology, ACECR, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Mohammad Hossein Nasr Esfahani
- grid.417689.5Department of Animal Biotechnology, Cell Science Research Center, Royan Institute for Biotechnology, ACECR, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Henry Klassen
- grid.266093.80000 0001 0668 7243Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, Irvine, CA USA
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3
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Yefimova MG, Béré E, Cantereau-Becq A, Meunier-Balandre AC, Merceron B, Burel A, Merienne K, Ravel C, Becq F, Bourmeyster N. Myelinosome Organelles in the Retina of R6/1 Huntington Disease (HD) Mice: Ubiquitous Distribution and Possible Role in Disease Spreading. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms222312771. [PMID: 34884576 PMCID: PMC8657466 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222312771] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [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: 10/13/2021] [Revised: 11/08/2021] [Accepted: 11/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Visual deficit is one of the complications of Huntington disease (HD), a fatal neurological disorder caused by CAG trinucleotide expansions in the Huntingtin gene, leading to the production of mutant Huntingtin (mHTT) protein. Transgenic HD R6/1 mice expressing human HTT exon1 with 115 CAG repeats recapitulate major features of the human pathology and exhibit a degeneration of the retina. Our aim was to gain insight into the ultrastructure of the pathological HD R6/1 retina by electron microscopy (EM). We show that the HD R6/1 retina is enriched with unusual organelles myelinosomes, produced by retinal neurons and glia. Myelinosomes are present in all nuclear and plexiform layers, in the synaptic terminals of photoreceptors, in the processes of retinal neurons and glial cells, and in the subretinal space. In vitro study shows that myelinosomes secreted by human retinal glial Müller MIO-M1 cells transfected with EGFP-mHTT-exon1 carry EGFP-mHTT-exon1 protein, as revealed by immuno-EM and Western-blotting. Myelinosomes loaded with mHTT-exon1 are incorporated by naive neuronal/neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells. This results in the emergence of mHTT-exon1 in recipient cells. This process is blocked by membrane fusion inhibitor MDL 28170. Conclusion: Incorporation of myelinosomes carrying mHTT-exon1 in recipient cells may contribute to HD spreading in the retina. Exploring ocular fluids for myelinosome presence could bring an additional biomarker for HD diagnostics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina G. Yefimova
- Laboratoire Signalisation et Transports Ioniques Membranaires, Université de Poitiers/CNRS, 1 Rue Georges Bonnet, 86022 Poitiers, France; (A.C.-B.); (A.-C.M.-B.); (F.B.); (N.B.)
- Sechenov Institute of Evolutionary Physiology and Biochemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, 44 Pr. Thorez, 194233 St. Petersburg, Russia
- Laboratoire de Biologie de la Reproduction-CECOS, Hopital SUD, 16 Bd de Bulgarie, CEDEX, 35000 Rennes, France;
- Correspondence:
| | - Emile Béré
- Plateforme IMAGE-UP, 1 Rue Georges Bonnet, 86022 Poitiers, France; (E.B.); (B.M.)
| | - Anne Cantereau-Becq
- Laboratoire Signalisation et Transports Ioniques Membranaires, Université de Poitiers/CNRS, 1 Rue Georges Bonnet, 86022 Poitiers, France; (A.C.-B.); (A.-C.M.-B.); (F.B.); (N.B.)
- Plateforme IMAGE-UP, 1 Rue Georges Bonnet, 86022 Poitiers, France; (E.B.); (B.M.)
| | - Annie-Claire Meunier-Balandre
- Laboratoire Signalisation et Transports Ioniques Membranaires, Université de Poitiers/CNRS, 1 Rue Georges Bonnet, 86022 Poitiers, France; (A.C.-B.); (A.-C.M.-B.); (F.B.); (N.B.)
| | - Bruno Merceron
- Plateforme IMAGE-UP, 1 Rue Georges Bonnet, 86022 Poitiers, France; (E.B.); (B.M.)
| | - Agnès Burel
- Plateforme Mric TEM, BIOSIT UMS 34 80, Université de Rennes 1, 2 Av. Pr. Léon Bernard, CEDEX, 35043 Rennes, France;
| | - Karine Merienne
- Laboratory of Cognitive and Adaptive Neurosciences (LNCA), University of Strasbourg, 67000 Strasbourg, France;
- CNRS UMR 7364, 67000 Strasbourg, France
| | - Célia Ravel
- Laboratoire de Biologie de la Reproduction-CECOS, Hopital SUD, 16 Bd de Bulgarie, CEDEX, 35000 Rennes, France;
| | - Frédéric Becq
- Laboratoire Signalisation et Transports Ioniques Membranaires, Université de Poitiers/CNRS, 1 Rue Georges Bonnet, 86022 Poitiers, France; (A.C.-B.); (A.-C.M.-B.); (F.B.); (N.B.)
| | - Nicolas Bourmeyster
- Laboratoire Signalisation et Transports Ioniques Membranaires, Université de Poitiers/CNRS, 1 Rue Georges Bonnet, 86022 Poitiers, France; (A.C.-B.); (A.-C.M.-B.); (F.B.); (N.B.)
- Service de Biochimie, CHU de Poitiers, 1, Rue de la Milétrie, 86021 Poitiers, France
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4
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Pierrache LHM, Ghafaryasl B, Khan MI, Yzer S, van Genderen MM, Schuil J, Boonstra FN, Pott JWR, de Faber JTHN, Tjon-Fo-Sang MJH, Vermeer KA, Cremers FPM, Klaver CCW, van den Born LI. LONGITUDINAL STUDY OF RPE65-ASSOCIATED INHERITED RETINAL DEGENERATIONS. Retina 2021; 40:1812-1828. [PMID: 32032261 DOI: 10.1097/iae.0000000000002681] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE To study the disease course of RPE65-associated inherited retinal degenerations (IRDs) as a function of the genotype, define a critical age for blindness, and identify potential modifiers. METHODS Forty-five patients with IRD from 33 families with biallelic RPE65 mutations, 28 stemming from a genetic isolate. We collected retrospective data from medical charts. Coexisting variants in 108 IRD-associated genes were identified with Molecular Inversion Probe analysis. RESULTS Most patients were diagnosed within the first years of life. Daytime visual function ranged from near-normal to blindness in the first four decades and met WHO criteria for blindness for visual acuity and visual field in the fifth decade. p.(Thr368His) was the most common variant (54%). Intrafamilial variability and interfamilial variability in disease severity and progression were observed. Molecular Inversion Probe analysis confirmed all RPE65 variants and identified one additional variant in LRAT and one in EYS in two separate patients. CONCLUSION All patients with RPE65-associated IRDs developed symptoms within the first year of life. Visual function in childhood and adolescence varied but deteriorated inevitably toward blindness after age 40. In this study, genotype was not predictive of clinical course. The variance in severity of disease could not be explained by double hits in other IRD genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurence H M Pierrache
- The Rotterdam Eye Hospital, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.,Rotterdam Ophthalmic Institute, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.,Department of Ophthalmology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.,Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Babak Ghafaryasl
- Rotterdam Ophthalmic Institute, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.,Department of Imaging Physics, Delft University of Technology, Delft, the Netherlands
| | - Muhammad I Khan
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.,Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Radboud University Medical Centre Nijmegen, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Susanne Yzer
- The Rotterdam Eye Hospital, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Maria M van Genderen
- Bartiméus Diagnostic Centre for Complex Visual Disorders, Zeist, the Netherlands.,Department of Ophthalmology, University Medical Centre Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - José Schuil
- Bartiméus Diagnostic Centre for Complex Visual Disorders, Zeist, the Netherlands
| | - F Nienke Boonstra
- Department of Ophthalmology, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.,Royal Dutch Visio, National Foundation for the Visually Impaired and Blind, Huizen, the Netherlands; and
| | - Jan W R Pott
- Department of Ophthalmology, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | | | | | | | - Frans P M Cremers
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.,Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Radboud University Medical Centre Nijmegen, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Caroline C W Klaver
- Department of Ophthalmology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.,Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.,Department of Ophthalmology, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - L Ingeborgh van den Born
- The Rotterdam Eye Hospital, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.,Rotterdam Ophthalmic Institute, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
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5
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Riccitelli S, Di Paolo M, Ashley J, Bisti S, Di Marco S. The Timecourses of Functional, Morphological, and Molecular Changes Triggered by Light Exposure in Sprague-Dawley Rat Retinas. Cells 2021; 10:1561. [PMID: 34205615 PMCID: PMC8234029 DOI: 10.3390/cells10061561] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2021] [Revised: 06/01/2021] [Accepted: 06/16/2021] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Retinal neurodegeneration can impair visual perception at different levels, involving not only photoreceptors, which are the most metabolically active cells, but also the inner retina. Compensatory mechanisms may hide the first signs of these impairments and reduce the likelihood of receiving timely treatments. Therefore, it is essential to characterize the early critical steps in the neurodegenerative progression to design adequate therapies. This paper describes and correlates early morphological and biochemical changes in the degenerating retina with in vivo functional analysis of retinal activity and investigates the progression of neurodegenerative stages for up to 7 months. For these purposes, Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed to 1000 lux light either for different durations (12 h to 24 h) and examined seven days afterward (7d) or for a fixed duration (24 h) and monitored at various time points following the exposure (up to 210d). Flash electroretinogram (fERG) recordings were correlated with morphological and histological analyses to evaluate outer and inner retinal disruptions, gliosis, trophic factor release, and microglial activation. Twelve hours or fifteen hours of exposure to constant light led to a severe retinal dysfunction with only minor morphological changes. Therefore, early pathological signs might be hidden by compensatory mechanisms that silence retinal dysfunction, accounting for the discrepancy between photoreceptor loss and retinal functional output. The long-term analysis showed a transient functional recovery, maximum at 45 days, despite a progressive loss of photoreceptors and coincident increases in glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and basic fibroblast growth factor-2 (bFGF-2) expression. Interestingly, the progression of the disease presented different patterns in the dorsal and ventral retina. The information acquired gives us the potential to develop a specific diagnostic tool to monitor the disease's progression and treatment efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Serena Riccitelli
- Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L’Aquila, 67100 L’Aquila, Italy; (S.R.); (M.D.P.); (S.B.)
| | - Mattia Di Paolo
- Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L’Aquila, 67100 L’Aquila, Italy; (S.R.); (M.D.P.); (S.B.)
| | - James Ashley
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK;
| | - Silvia Bisti
- Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L’Aquila, 67100 L’Aquila, Italy; (S.R.); (M.D.P.); (S.B.)
- Istituto Nazionale di Biostrutture e Biosistemi (INBB), 00136 Roma, Italy
- Center for Synaptic Neuroscience and Technology, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, 16132 Genova, Italy
| | - Stefano Di Marco
- Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L’Aquila, 67100 L’Aquila, Italy; (S.R.); (M.D.P.); (S.B.)
- Istituto Nazionale di Biostrutture e Biosistemi (INBB), 00136 Roma, Italy
- Center for Synaptic Neuroscience and Technology, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, 16132 Genova, Italy
- IRCCS, Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, 16132 Genova, Italy
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6
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Fu Z, Qiu C, Cagnone G, Tomita Y, Huang S, Cakir B, Kotoda Y, Allen W, Bull E, Akula JD, Joyal JS, Hellström A, Talukdar S, Smith LEH. Retinal glial remodeling by FGF21 preserves retinal function during photoreceptor degeneration. iScience 2021; 24:102376. [PMID: 33937726 PMCID: PMC8079476 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2021.102376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2021] [Revised: 02/13/2021] [Accepted: 03/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The group of retinal degenerations, retinitis pigmentosa (RP), comprises more than 150 genetic abnormalities affecting photoreceptors. Finding degenerative pathways common to all genetic abnormalities may allow general treatment such as neuroprotection. Neuroprotection may include enhancing the function of cells that directly support photoreceptors, retinal pigment epithelial cells, and Müller glia. Treatment with fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21), a neuroprotectant, from postnatal week 4-10, during rod and cone loss in P23H mice (an RP model) with retinal degeneration, preserved photoreceptor function and normalized Müller glial cell morphology. Single-cell transcriptomics of retinal cells showed that FGF21 receptor Fgfr1 was specifically expressed in Müller glia/astrocytes. Of all retinal cells, FGF21 predominantly affected genes in Müller glia/astrocytes with increased expression of axon development and synapse formation pathway genes. Therefore, enhancing retinal glial axon and synapse formation with neurons may preserve retinal function in RP and may suggest a general therapeutic approach for retinal degenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhongjie Fu
- Department of Ophthalmology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.,The Manton Center for Orphan Disease, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Chenxi Qiu
- Department of Medicine, Division of Translational Therapeutics, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Gael Cagnone
- Department of Pediatrics, Pharmacology and Ophthalmology, CHU Sainte-Justine Research Center, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Qc H3A 0C4, Canada.,Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, McGill University, Montreal, Qc H3A 0C4, Canada
| | - Yohei Tomita
- Department of Ophthalmology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Shuo Huang
- Department of Ophthalmology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Bertan Cakir
- Department of Ophthalmology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Yumi Kotoda
- Department of Ophthalmology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - William Allen
- Department of Ophthalmology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Edward Bull
- Department of Ophthalmology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - James D Akula
- Department of Ophthalmology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Jean-Sébastien Joyal
- Department of Pediatrics, Pharmacology and Ophthalmology, CHU Sainte-Justine Research Center, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Qc H3A 0C4, Canada.,Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, McGill University, Montreal, Qc H3A 0C4, Canada
| | - Ann Hellström
- Section for Ophthalmology, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Göteborg 405 30, Sweden
| | - Saswata Talukdar
- Cardiometabolic Diseases, Merck Research Laboratories, 33 Avenue Louis Pasteur, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Lois E H Smith
- Department of Ophthalmology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
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Appelbaum T, Santana E, Aguirre GD. Critical Decrease in the Level of Axon Guidance Receptor ROBO1 in Rod Synaptic Terminals Is Followed by Axon Retraction. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2020; 61:11. [PMID: 32176262 PMCID: PMC7405958 DOI: 10.1167/iovs.61.3.11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2019] [Accepted: 12/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose To define remodeling of photoreceptor synaptic terminals and second-order retinal neurons in canine X-linked progressive retinal atrophy 1 caused by a five-nucleotide deletion in the RPGR exon ORF15. Methods Retinas of normal and mutant dogs were used for gene expression, Western blot, and immunohistochemistry. Cell-specific markers were used to examine disease-dependent retinal remodeling. Results In mutant retinas, a number of rod axon terminals retract into the outer nuclear layer. This neuritic atrophy preceded significant loss of rods and was evident early in disease. Rod bipolar and horizontal cell processes were found to extend into the outer nuclear layer, where they seemed to form contacts with the spherules of rod photoreceptors. No ectopic rewiring was observed. Because cytoskeletal reorganization was previously shown to underlie photoreceptor axon retraction, we examined normal and mutant retinas for expression of axon guidance receptors ROBO1 and ROBO2, which are known to regulate actin cytoskeleton dynamics. We found that the overall expression of both ROBO1 and ROBO2 is retained at the same level in premature and fully developed normal retinas. However, analysis of predisease and early disease retinas identified markedly decreased levels of ROBO1 in rod spherules compared with controls. In contrast, no differences in ROBO1 signals were noted in cone pedicles in normal and mutant retinas, where ROBO1 levels remained similarly low. Conclusions Depletion of ROBO1 in rod synaptic terminals correlates with the remodeling of axonal and dendritic processes in the outer retina of dogs with X-linked progressive retinal atrophy 1 and may play a role in the retraction of rod axons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatyana Appelbaum
- Department of Clinical Sciences & Advanced Medicine, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
| | - Evelyn Santana
- Department of Clinical Sciences & Advanced Medicine, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
| | - Gustavo D. Aguirre
- Department of Clinical Sciences & Advanced Medicine, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
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8
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Fu Z, Sun Y, Cakir B, Tomita Y, Huang S, Wang Z, Liu CH, S. Cho S, Britton W, S. Kern T, Antonetti DA, Hellström A, E.H. Smith L. Targeting Neurovascular Interaction in Retinal Disorders. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:E1503. [PMID: 32098361 PMCID: PMC7073081 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21041503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2020] [Revised: 02/13/2020] [Accepted: 02/21/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The tightly structured neural retina has a unique vascular network comprised of three interconnected plexuses in the inner retina (and choroid for outer retina), which provide oxygen and nutrients to neurons to maintain normal function. Clinical and experimental evidence suggests that neuronal metabolic needs control both normal retinal vascular development and pathological aberrant vascular growth. Particularly, photoreceptors, with the highest density of mitochondria in the body, regulate retinal vascular development by modulating angiogenic and inflammatory factors. Photoreceptor metabolic dysfunction, oxidative stress, and inflammation may cause adaptive but ultimately pathological retinal vascular responses, leading to blindness. Here we focus on the factors involved in neurovascular interactions, which are potential therapeutic targets to decrease energy demand and/or to increase energy production for neovascular retinal disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhongjie Fu
- Department of Ophthalmology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; (Z.F.); (Y.S.); (B.C.); (Y.T.); (S.H.); (Z.W.); (C.-H.L.); (S.S.C.); (W.B.)
- Manton Center for Orphan Disease, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Ye Sun
- Department of Ophthalmology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; (Z.F.); (Y.S.); (B.C.); (Y.T.); (S.H.); (Z.W.); (C.-H.L.); (S.S.C.); (W.B.)
| | - Bertan Cakir
- Department of Ophthalmology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; (Z.F.); (Y.S.); (B.C.); (Y.T.); (S.H.); (Z.W.); (C.-H.L.); (S.S.C.); (W.B.)
| | - Yohei Tomita
- Department of Ophthalmology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; (Z.F.); (Y.S.); (B.C.); (Y.T.); (S.H.); (Z.W.); (C.-H.L.); (S.S.C.); (W.B.)
| | - Shuo Huang
- Department of Ophthalmology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; (Z.F.); (Y.S.); (B.C.); (Y.T.); (S.H.); (Z.W.); (C.-H.L.); (S.S.C.); (W.B.)
| | - Zhongxiao Wang
- Department of Ophthalmology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; (Z.F.); (Y.S.); (B.C.); (Y.T.); (S.H.); (Z.W.); (C.-H.L.); (S.S.C.); (W.B.)
| | - Chi-Hsiu Liu
- Department of Ophthalmology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; (Z.F.); (Y.S.); (B.C.); (Y.T.); (S.H.); (Z.W.); (C.-H.L.); (S.S.C.); (W.B.)
| | - Steve S. Cho
- Department of Ophthalmology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; (Z.F.); (Y.S.); (B.C.); (Y.T.); (S.H.); (Z.W.); (C.-H.L.); (S.S.C.); (W.B.)
| | - William Britton
- Department of Ophthalmology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; (Z.F.); (Y.S.); (B.C.); (Y.T.); (S.H.); (Z.W.); (C.-H.L.); (S.S.C.); (W.B.)
| | - Timothy S. Kern
- Center for Translational Vision Research, Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, Irvine, CA 92697, USA;
| | - David A. Antonetti
- Kellogg Eye Center, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48105, USA;
| | - Ann Hellström
- Section for Ophthalmology, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, 405 30 Göteborg, Sweden;
| | - Lois E.H. Smith
- Department of Ophthalmology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; (Z.F.); (Y.S.); (B.C.); (Y.T.); (S.H.); (Z.W.); (C.-H.L.); (S.S.C.); (W.B.)
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García-Ayuso D, Di Pierdomenico J, Vidal-Sanz M, Villegas-Pérez MP. Retinal Ganglion Cell Death as a Late Remodeling Effect of Photoreceptor Degeneration. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:ijms20184649. [PMID: 31546829 PMCID: PMC6770703 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20184649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2019] [Revised: 09/09/2019] [Accepted: 09/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Inherited or acquired photoreceptor degenerations, one of the leading causes of irreversible blindness in the world, are a group of retinal disorders that initially affect rods and cones, situated in the outer retina. For many years it was assumed that these diseases did not spread to the inner retina. However, it is now known that photoreceptor loss leads to an unavoidable chain of events that cause neurovascular changes in the retina including migration of retinal pigment epithelium cells, formation of “subretinal vascular complexes”, vessel displacement, retinal ganglion cell (RGC) axonal strangulation by retinal vessels, axonal transport alteration and, ultimately, RGC death. These events are common to all photoreceptor degenerations regardless of the initial trigger and thus threaten the outcome of photoreceptor substitution as a therapeutic approach, because with a degenerating inner retina, the photoreceptor signal will not reach the brain. In conclusion, therapies should be applied early in the course of photoreceptor degeneration, before the remodeling process reaches the inner retina.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diego García-Ayuso
- Departamento de Oftalmología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Murcia, and Instituto Murciano de Investigación Biosanitaria Virgen de la Arrixaca (IMIB-Virgen de la Arrixaca), 30120 Murcia, Spain.
| | - Johnny Di Pierdomenico
- Departamento de Oftalmología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Murcia, and Instituto Murciano de Investigación Biosanitaria Virgen de la Arrixaca (IMIB-Virgen de la Arrixaca), 30120 Murcia, Spain.
| | - Manuel Vidal-Sanz
- Departamento de Oftalmología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Murcia, and Instituto Murciano de Investigación Biosanitaria Virgen de la Arrixaca (IMIB-Virgen de la Arrixaca), 30120 Murcia, Spain.
| | - María P Villegas-Pérez
- Departamento de Oftalmología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Murcia, and Instituto Murciano de Investigación Biosanitaria Virgen de la Arrixaca (IMIB-Virgen de la Arrixaca), 30120 Murcia, Spain.
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Massengill MT, Young B, Patel D, Jafri F, Sabogal E, Ash N, Li H, Ildefonso CJ, Lewin AS. Clinically Relevant Outcome Measures for the I307N Rhodopsin Mouse: A Model of Inducible Autosomal Dominant Retinitis Pigmentosa. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2019; 59:5417-5430. [PMID: 30452595 PMCID: PMC6237214 DOI: 10.1167/iovs.18-25345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Purpose The I307N rhodopsin (Rho) mouse is a light-inducible model of autosomal dominant retinitis pigmentosa (adRP) that may be useful in testing therapies. We investigated the time-course of retinal changes of the I307N Rho mouse with spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT). Methods SD-OCT was performed up to day 30 after light damage; electroretinography (ERG) was employed to evaluate photoreceptor function. We utilized ImageJ to analyze reflectivity of the retina. We used light and electron microscopy to assess retinal organization. We stained synaptophysin and zonula occludins-1 with immunohistochemistry to determine injury to the plexiform layers and retinal pigment epithelium (RPE). We performed lectin staining to evaluate retinal blood vessels. Results Retinal degeneration increased with longer exposures to light. An increase in retinal thickness was detected by SD-OCT on day 1 after light challenge followed by loss of the outer nuclear layer (ONL) by day 8. Degeneration was most severe in the nasal and inferior retina. Hyper-reflectivity on SD-OCT developed as early as 1 day after light exposure. Disorganization of the ONL, condensation of photoreceptor chromatin, disruption of the outer limiting membrane, and disarray of outer segments were associated with the hyper-reflectivity. Retraction of the outer plexiform synapses and resorption of the subretinal detachment contributed to retinal thinning. The RPE remained intact, whereas atrophied major retinal vessels were evident after light damage. Conclusions Our time-course analysis of retinal degeneration in the I307N Rho mouse with SD-OCT and other outcome measures should enable the use of the mouse model in preclinical efficacy studies and mechanistic studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael T Massengill
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, Florida, United States
| | - Brianna Young
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, Florida, United States
| | - Deep Patel
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, Florida, United States
| | - Farwa Jafri
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, Florida, United States
| | - Ernesto Sabogal
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, Florida, United States
| | - Neil Ash
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, Florida, United States
| | - Hong Li
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, Florida, United States
| | - Cristhian J Ildefonso
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, Florida, United States
| | - Alfred S Lewin
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, Florida, United States
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Yu WQ, Grzywacz NM, Lee EJ, Field GD. Cell type-specific changes in retinal ganglion cell function induced by rod death and cone reorganization in rats. J Neurophysiol 2017; 118:434-454. [PMID: 28424296 PMCID: PMC5506261 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00826.2016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2016] [Revised: 04/17/2017] [Accepted: 04/17/2017] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
We have determined the impact of rod death and cone reorganization on the spatiotemporal receptive fields (RFs) and spontaneous activity of distinct retinal ganglion cell (RGC) types. We compared RGC function between healthy and retinitis pigmentosa (RP) model rats (S334ter-3) at a time when nearly all rods were lost but cones remained. This allowed us to determine the impact of rod death on cone-mediated visual signaling, a relevant time point because the diagnosis of RP frequently occurs when patients are nightblind but daytime vision persists. Following rod death, functionally distinct RGC types persisted; this indicates that parallel processing of visual input remained largely intact. However, some properties of cone-mediated responses were altered ubiquitously across RGC types, such as prolonged temporal integration and reduced spatial RF area. Other properties changed in a cell type-specific manner, such as temporal RF shape (dynamics), spontaneous activity, and direction selectivity. These observations identify the extent of functional remodeling in the retina following rod death but before cone loss. They also indicate new potential challenges to restoring normal vision by replacing lost rod photoreceptors.NEW & NOTEWORTHY This study provides novel and therapeutically relevant insights to retinal function following rod death but before cone death. To determine changes in retinal output, we used a large-scale multielectrode array to simultaneously record from hundreds of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs). These recordings of large-scale neural activity revealed that following the death of all rods, functionally distinct RGCs remain. However, the receptive field properties and spontaneous activity of these RGCs are altered in a cell type-specific manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wan-Qing Yu
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California
| | - Norberto M Grzywacz
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California.,Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California.,Department of Neuroscience, Department of Physics, and Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Georgetown University, Washington, District of Columbia
| | - Eun-Jin Lee
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California.,Mary D. Allen Laboratory for Vision Research, USC Roski Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California; and
| | - Greg D Field
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina
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Jalligampala A, Sekhar S, Zrenner E, Rathbun DL. Optimal voltage stimulation parameters for network-mediated responses in wild type and rd10 mouse retinal ganglion cells. J Neural Eng 2017; 14:026004. [PMID: 28155848 DOI: 10.1088/1741-2552/14/2/026004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
To further improve the quality of visual percepts elicited by microelectronic retinal prosthetics, substantial efforts have been made to understand how retinal neurons respond to electrical stimulation. It is generally assumed that a sufficiently strong stimulus will recruit most retinal neurons. However, recent evidence has shown that the responses of some retinal neurons decrease with excessively strong stimuli (a non-monotonic response function). Therefore, it is necessary to identify stimuli that can be used to activate the majority of retinal neurons even when such non-monotonic cells are part of the neuronal population. Taking these non-monotonic responses into consideration, we establish the optimal voltage stimulation parameters (amplitude, duration, and polarity) for epiretinal stimulation of network-mediated (indirect) ganglion cell responses. We recorded responses from 3958 mouse retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) in both healthy (wild type, WT) and a degenerating (rd10) mouse model of retinitis pigmentosa-using flat-mounted retina on a microelectrode array. Rectangular monophasic voltage-controlled pulses were presented with varying voltage, duration, and polarity. We found that in 4-5 weeks old rd10 mice the RGC thresholds were comparable to those of WT. There was a marked response variability among mouse RGCs. To account for this variability, we interpolated the percentage of RGCs activated at each point in the voltage-polarity-duration stimulus space, thus identifying the optimal voltage-controlled pulse (-2.4 V, 0.88 ms). The identified optimal voltage pulse can activate at least 65% of potentially responsive RGCs in both mouse strains. Furthermore, this pulse is well within the range of stimuli demonstrated to be safe and effective for retinal implant patients. Such optimized stimuli and the underlying method used to identify them support a high yield of responsive RGCs and will serve as an effective guideline for future in vitro investigations of retinal electrostimulation by establishing standard stimuli for each unique experimental condition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Archana Jalligampala
- Institute for Ophthalmic Research, Eberhard Karls University, D-72076 Tübingen, Germany. Werner Reichardt Centre for Integrative Neuroscience (CIN), D-72076 Tübingen, Germany. Graduate Training Center of Neuroscience/International Max Planck Research School, D-72074 Tübingen, Germany
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Combes RD, Shah AB. The use of in vivo, ex vivo, in vitro, computational models and volunteer studies in vision research and therapy, and their contribution to the Three Rs. Altern Lab Anim 2017; 44:187-238. [PMID: 27494623 DOI: 10.1177/026119291604400302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Much is known about mammalian vision, and considerable progress has been achieved in treating many vision disorders, especially those due to changes in the eye, by using various therapeutic methods, including stem cell and gene therapy. While cells and tissues from the main parts of the eye and the visual cortex (VC) can be maintained in culture, and many computer models exist, the current non-animal approaches are severely limiting in the study of visual perception and retinotopic imaging. Some of the early studies with cats and non-human primates (NHPs) are controversial for animal welfare reasons and are of questionable clinical relevance, particularly with respect to the treatment of amblyopia. More recently, the UK Home Office records have shown that attention is now more focused on rodents, especially the mouse. This is likely to be due to the perceived need for genetically-altered animals, rather than to knowledge of the similarities and differences of vision in cats, NHPs and rodents, and the fact that the same techniques can be used for all of the species. We discuss the advantages and limitations of animal and non-animal methods for vision research, and assess their relative contributions to basic knowledge and clinical practice, as well as outlining the opportunities they offer for implementing the principles of the Three Rs (Replacement, Reduction and Refinement).
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Atul B Shah
- Ophthalmic Surgeon, National Eye Registry Ltd, Leicester, UK
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Liu G, Li H, Liu X, Xu D, Wang F. Structural analysis of retinal photoreceptor ellipsoid zone and postreceptor retinal layer associated with visual acuity in patients with retinitis pigmentosa by ganglion cell analysis combined with OCT imaging. Medicine (Baltimore) 2016; 95:e5785. [PMID: 28033301 PMCID: PMC5207597 DOI: 10.1097/md.0000000000005785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The aim of this study was to examine changes in photoreceptor ellipsoid zone (EZ) and postreceptor retinal layer in retinitis pigmentosa (RP) patients by ganglion cell analysis (GCA) combined with optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging to evaluate the structure-function relationships between retinal layer changes and best corrected visual acuity (BCVA). Sixty-eight eyes of 35 patients with RP and 65 eyes of 35 normal controls were analyzed in the study. The average length of EZ was 911.1 ± 208.8 μm in RP patients, which was shortened with the progression of the disease on the OCT images. The average ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer thickness (GCIPLT) was 54.7 ± 18.9 μm in RP patients, while in normal controls it was 85.6 ± 6.8 μm. The GCIPLT in all quarters became significantly thinner along with outer retinal thinning. There was a significantly positive correlation between BCVA and EZ (r = -0.7622, P < 0.001) and GCIPLT (r = -0.452, P < 0.001). Therefore, we assess the retinal layer changes from a new perspective in RP patients, which suggests that EZ and GCIPLT obtained by GCA combined with OCT imaging are the direct and valid indicators to diagnosis and predict the pathological process of RP.
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