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Rzhanova LA, Markitantova YV, Aleksandrova MA. Recent Achievements in the Heterogeneity of Mammalian and Human Retinal Pigment Epithelium: In Search of a Stem Cell. Cells 2024; 13:281. [PMID: 38334673 PMCID: PMC10854871 DOI: 10.3390/cells13030281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2023] [Revised: 01/23/2024] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 02/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells are important fundamentally for the development and function of the retina. In this regard, the study of the morphological and molecular properties of RPE cells, as well as their regenerative capabilities, is of particular importance for biomedicine. However, these studies are complicated by the fact that, despite the external morphological similarity of RPE cells, the RPE is a population of heterogeneous cells, the molecular genetic properties of which have begun to be revealed by sequencing methods only in recent years. This review carries out an analysis of the data from morphological and molecular genetic studies of the heterogeneity of RPE cells in mammals and humans, which reveals the individual differences in the subpopulations of RPE cells and the possible specificity of their functions. Particular attention is paid to discussing the properties of "stemness," proliferation, and plasticity in the RPE, which may be useful for uncovering the mechanisms of retinal diseases associated with pathologies of the RPE and finding new ways of treating them.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Yuliya V. Markitantova
- Koltzov Institute of Developmental Biology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 26 Vavilov Street, 119334 Moscow, Russia; (L.A.R.); (M.A.A.)
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Beaver D, Limnios IJ. A treatment within sight: challenges in the development of stem cell-derived photoreceptor therapies for retinal degenerative diseases. FRONTIERS IN TRANSPLANTATION 2023; 2:1130086. [PMID: 38993872 PMCID: PMC11235385 DOI: 10.3389/frtra.2023.1130086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2022] [Accepted: 09/07/2023] [Indexed: 07/13/2024]
Abstract
Stem cell therapies can potentially treat various retinal degenerative diseases, including age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and inherited retinal diseases like retinitis pigmentosa. For these diseases, transplanted cells may include stem cell-derived retinal pigmented epithelial (RPE) cells, photoreceptors, or a combination of both. Although stem cell-derived RPE cells have progressed to human clinical trials, therapies using photoreceptors and other retinal cell types are lagging. In this review, we discuss the potential use of human pluripotent stem cell (hPSC)-derived photoreceptors for the treatment of retinal degeneration and highlight the progress and challenges for their efficient production and clinical application in regenerative medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Davinia Beaver
- Clem Jones Centre for Regenerative Medicine, Bond University, Gold Coast, QL, Australia
| | - Ioannis Jason Limnios
- Clem Jones Centre for Regenerative Medicine, Bond University, Gold Coast, QL, Australia
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3
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Ramírez-Pardo I, Villarejo-Zori B, Jiménez-Loygorri JI, Sierra-Filardi E, Alonso-Gil S, Mariño G, de la Villa P, Fitze PS, Fuentes JM, García-Escudero R, Ferrington DA, Gomez-Sintes R, Boya P. Ambra1 haploinsufficiency in CD1 mice results in metabolic alterations and exacerbates age-associated retinal degeneration. Autophagy 2023; 19:784-804. [PMID: 35875981 PMCID: PMC9980615 DOI: 10.1080/15548627.2022.2103307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Macroautophagy/autophagy is a key process in the maintenance of cellular homeostasis. The age-dependent decline in retinal autophagy has been associated with photoreceptor degeneration. Retinal dysfunction can also result from damage to the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), as the RPE-retina constitutes an important metabolic ecosystem that must be finely tuned to preserve visual function. While studies of mice lacking essential autophagy genes have revealed a predisposition to retinal degeneration, the consequences of a moderate reduction in autophagy, similar to that which occurs during physiological aging, remain unclear. Here, we described a retinal phenotype consistent with accelerated aging in mice carrying a haploinsufficiency for Ambra1, a pro-autophagic gene. These mice showed protein aggregation in the retina and RPE, metabolic underperformance, and premature vision loss. Moreover, Ambra1+/gt mice were more prone to retinal degeneration after RPE stress. These findings indicate that autophagy provides crucial support to RPE-retinal metabolism and protects the retina against stress and physiological aging.Abbreviations : 4-HNE: 4-hydroxynonenal; AMBRA1: autophagy and beclin 1 regulator 1, AMD: age-related macular degeneration;; GCL: ganglion cell layer; GFAP: glial fibrillary acidic protein; GLUL: glutamine synthetase/glutamate-ammonia ligase; HCL: hierarchical clustering; INL: inner nuclear layer; IPL: inner plexiform layer; LC/GC-MS: liquid chromatography/gas chromatography-mass spectrometry; MA: middle-aged; MTDR: MitoTracker Deep Red; MFI: mean fluorescence intensity; NL: NH4Cl and leupeptin; Nqo: NAD(P)H quinone dehydrogenase; ONL: outer nuclear layer; OPL: outer plexiform layer; OP: oscillatory potentials; OXPHOS: oxidative phosphorylation; PCR: polymerase chain reaction; PRKC/PKCα: protein kinase C; POS: photoreceptor outer segment; RGC: retinal ganglion cells; RPE: retinal pigment epithelium; SI: sodium iodate; TCA: tricarboxylic acid.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ignacio Ramírez-Pardo
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas Margarita Salas, CSIC, Madrid, Spain
| | - Beatriz Villarejo-Zori
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas Margarita Salas, CSIC, Madrid, Spain
| | - Juan Ignacio Jiménez-Loygorri
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas Margarita Salas, CSIC, Madrid, Spain
| | - Elena Sierra-Filardi
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas Margarita Salas, CSIC, Madrid, Spain
| | - Sandra Alonso-Gil
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas Margarita Salas, CSIC, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Pedro de la Villa
- Department of Systems Biology, University of Alcalá, Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain.,Vision neurophisiology group, Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria (IRYCIS), Madrid, Spain
| | - Patrick S Fitze
- Departament of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC, Madrid, Spain
| | - José Manuel Fuentes
- Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Genetics, Faculty of Nursing and Occupational Therapy, University of Extremadura, Cáceres, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Madrid, Spain.,Nerodegenerative Diseases unit, Instituto Universitario de Investigación Biosanitaria de Extremadura (INUBE), Cáceres, Spain
| | - Ramón García-Escudero
- Molecular Oncology Unit, CIEMAT, Madrid, Spain.,Biomedical Research Institute I+12, University Hospital 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Cáncer (CIBERONC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Deborah A Ferrington
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Neurosciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Raquel Gomez-Sintes
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas Margarita Salas, CSIC, Madrid, Spain
| | - Patricia Boya
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas Margarita Salas, CSIC, Madrid, Spain
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Re-formation of synaptic connectivity in dissociated human stem cell-derived retinal organoid cultures. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2213418120. [PMID: 36598946 PMCID: PMC9926218 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2213418120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Human pluripotent stem cell (hPSC)-derived retinal organoids (ROs) can efficiently and reproducibly generate retinal neurons that have potential for use in cell replacement strategies [Capowski et al., Development 146, dev171686 (2019)]. The ability of these lab-grown retinal neurons to form new synaptic connections after dissociation from ROs is key to building confidence in their capacity to restore visual function. However, direct evidence of reestablishment of retinal neuron connectivity via synaptic tracing has not been reported to date. The present study employs an in vitro, rabies virus-based, monosynaptic retrograde tracing assay [Wickersham et al., Neuron 53, 639-647 (2007); Sun et al., Mol. Neurodegener. 14, 8 (2019)] to identify de novo synaptic connections among early retinal cell types following RO dissociation. A reproducible, high-throughput approach for labeling and quantifying traced retinal cell types was developed. Photoreceptors and retinal ganglion cells-the primary neurons of interest for retinal cell replacement-were the two major contributing populations among the traced presynaptic cells. This system provides a platform for assessing synaptic connections in cultured retinal neurons and sets the stage for future cell replacement studies aimed at characterizing or enhancing synaptogenesis. Used in this manner, in vitro synaptic tracing is envisioned to complement traditional preclinical animal model testing, which is limited by evolutionary incompatibilities in synaptic machinery inherent to human xenografts.
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Rzhanova LA, Kuznetsova AV, Aleksandrova MA. Reprogramming of Differentiated Mammalian and Human Retinal Pigment Epithelium: Current Achievements and Prospects. Russ J Dev Biol 2020. [DOI: 10.1134/s1062360420040062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Impairment of the homeostatic and functional integrity of the retina and retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) is the main cause of some degenerative diseases of the human eye, which are accompanied by loss of eyesight. Despite the significant progress made over the past decades in the development of new methods for treatment for this pathology, there are still several complications when using surgical methods for correction of eyesight and so far insurmountable limitations in the applications of modern approaches, such as gene therapy and genetic engineering. One of the promising approaches to the treatment of degenerative diseases of the retina may be an approach based on the application of regenerative capacities of its endogenous cells with high plasticity, in particular, of RPE cells and Müller glia. Currently, vertebrate RPE cells are of great interest as a source of new photoreceptors and other neurons in the degrading retina in vivo. In this regard, the possibilities of their direct reprogramming by genetic, epigenetic, and chemical methods and their combination are being investigated. This review focuses on research in gene-directed reprogramming of vertebrate RPE cells into retinal neurons, with detailed analysis of the genes used as the main reprogramming factors, comparative analysis, and extrapolation of experimental data from animals to humans. Also, this review covers studies on the application of alternative approaches to gene-directed reprogramming, such as chemical-mediated reprogramming with the use of cocktails of therapeutic low-molecular-weight compounds and microRNAs. In general, the research results indicate the complexity of the process for direct reprogramming of human RPE cells into retinal neurons. However, taking into account the results of direct reprogramming of vertebrate cells and the accessibility of human RPE cells for various vectors that deliver a variety of molecules to cells, such as transcription factors, chimeric endonucleases, recombinant proteins, and low-weight molecular compounds, the most optimal combination of factors for the successful conversion of human RPE cells to retinal neurons can be suggested.
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Shen H, Ding C, Yuan S, Pan T, Li D, Li H, Huang B, Liu Q. Vitamin C- and Valproic Acid-Induced Fetal RPE Stem-like Cells Recover Retinal Degeneration via Regulating SOX2. Mol Ther 2020; 28:1645-1657. [PMID: 32353323 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2020.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2019] [Revised: 02/19/2020] [Accepted: 04/09/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cell replacement therapy has provided promising outcomes in the treatment of retinal degenerative diseases (RDDs), but the resulting limited visual improvement has raised questions about graft survival and differentiation. Through combined treatment with vitamin C and valproic acid (together, VV), we activated human fetal RPE (fRPE) cells to become highly proliferative fetal RPE stem-like cells (fRPESCs). In this study, we report that SOX2 (SRY-box 2) activation contributed to mesenchymal-epithelial transition and elevated the retinal progenitor and mesenchymal stromal markers expressions of fRPESCs. These fRPESCs could differentiate into RPE cells, rod photoreceptors, and mesenchymal lineage progenies under defined conditions. Finally, fRPESCs were transplanted into the subretinal space of an RDD mouse model, and a photoreceptor rescue benefit was demonstrated. The RPE and rod photoreceptor differentiation of transplanted fRPESCs may account for the neural retinal recovery. This study establishes fRPESCs as a highly proliferative, multi-lineage differentiation potential (including RPE, rod photoreceptor, and mesenchymal lineage differentiation), mesenchymal-to-epithelial-transitioned retinal stem-like cell source for cell-based therapy of RDDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Han Shen
- Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China
| | - Chenyue Ding
- Center of Reproduction and Genetics, Affiliated Suzhou Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou Municipal Hospital, Suzhou 215002, China
| | - Songtao Yuan
- Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China
| | - Ting Pan
- The Affiliated Changzhou No. 2 People's Hospital with Nanjing Medical University, Changzhou 213000, China
| | - Duo Li
- Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China
| | - Hong Li
- Center of Reproduction and Genetics, Affiliated Suzhou Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou Municipal Hospital, Suzhou 215002, China
| | - Boxian Huang
- Center of Reproduction and Genetics, Affiliated Suzhou Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou Municipal Hospital, Suzhou 215002, China; State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China.
| | - Qinghuai Liu
- Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China.
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