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Sladen PE, Naeem A, Adefila-Ideozu T, Vermeule T, Busson SL, Michaelides M, Naylor S, Forbes A, Lane A, Georgiadis A. AAV-RPGR Gene Therapy Rescues Opsin Mislocalisation in a Human Retinal Organoid Model of RPGR-Associated X-Linked Retinitis Pigmentosa. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:1839. [PMID: 38339118 PMCID: PMC10855600 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25031839] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2023] [Revised: 01/31/2024] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Variants within the Retinitis Pigmentosa GTPase regulator (RPGR) gene are the predominant cause of X-Linked Retinitis Pigmentosa (XLRP), a common and severe form of inherited retinal disease. XLRP is characterised by the progressive degeneration and loss of photoreceptors, leading to visual loss and, ultimately, bilateral blindness. Unfortunately, there are no effective approved treatments for RPGR-associated XLRP. We sought to investigate the efficacy of RPGRORF15 gene supplementation using a clinically relevant construct in human RPGR-deficient retinal organoids (ROs). Isogenic RPGR knockout (KO)-induced pluripotent stem cells (IPSCs) were generated using established CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing methods targeting RPGR. RPGR-KO and isogenic wild-type IPSCs were differentiated into ROs and utilised to test the adeno associated virus (AAV) RPGR (AAV-RPGR) clinical vector construct. The transduction of RPGR-KO ROs using AAV-RPGR successfully restored RPGR mRNA and protein expression and localisation to the photoreceptor connecting cilium in rod and cone photoreceptors. Vector-derived RPGR demonstrated equivalent levels of glutamylation to WT ROs. In addition, treatment with AAV-RPGR restored rhodopsin localisation within RPGR-KO ROs, reducing mislocalisation to the photoreceptor outer nuclear layer. These data provide mechanistic insights into RPGRORF15 gene supplementation functional potency in human photoreceptor cells and support the previously reported Phase I/II trial positive results using this vector construct in patients with RPGR-associated XLRP, which is currently being tested in a Phase III clinical trial.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul E. Sladen
- MeiraGTx UK II, 34-38 Provost Street, London N1 7NG, UK (A.L.)
| | - Arifa Naeem
- MeiraGTx UK II, 34-38 Provost Street, London N1 7NG, UK (A.L.)
| | | | - Tijmen Vermeule
- MeiraGTx UK II, 34-38 Provost Street, London N1 7NG, UK (A.L.)
| | | | - Michel Michaelides
- MeiraGTx UK II, 34-38 Provost Street, London N1 7NG, UK (A.L.)
- Moorfields Eye Hospital, 162 City Road, London EC1V 2PD, UK
- University College London Institute of Ophthalmology, London EC1V 9LF, UK
| | - Stuart Naylor
- MeiraGTx UK II, 34-38 Provost Street, London N1 7NG, UK (A.L.)
| | | | - Amelia Lane
- MeiraGTx UK II, 34-38 Provost Street, London N1 7NG, UK (A.L.)
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Vacca B, Sanchez-Heras E, Steed E, Busson SL, Balda MS, Ohnuma SI, Sasai N, Mayor R, Matter K. Control of neural crest induction by MarvelD3-mediated attenuation of JNK signalling. Sci Rep 2018; 8:1204. [PMID: 29352236 PMCID: PMC5775312 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-19579-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2017] [Accepted: 01/04/2018] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Tight junctions are required for the formation of tissue barriers and function as suppressors of signalling mechanisms that control gene expression and cell behaviour; however, little is known about the physiological and developmental importance of such signalling functions. Here, we demonstrate that depletion of MarvelD3, a transmembrane protein of tight junctions, disrupts neural crest formation and, consequently, development of neural crest-derived tissues during Xenopus embryogenesis. Using embryos and explant cultures combined with a small molecule inhibitor or mutant mRNAs, we show that MarvelD3 is required to attenuate JNK signalling during neural crest induction and that inhibition of JNK pathway activation is sufficient to rescue the phenotype induced by MarvelD3 depletion. Direct JNK stimulation disrupts neural crest development, supporting the importance of negative regulation of JNK. Our data identify the junctional protein MarvelD3 as an essential regulator of early vertebrate development and neural crest induction and, thereby, link tight junctions to the control and timing of JNK signalling during early development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Vacca
- Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London, London, EC1V 9EL, UK
| | | | - Emily Steed
- Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London, London, EC1V 9EL, UK.,Institute of Epigenetics and Stem Cells, Helmholtz Zentrum München, D-81377, Munich, Germany
| | - Sophie L Busson
- Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London, London, EC1V 9EL, UK
| | - Maria S Balda
- Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London, London, EC1V 9EL, UK
| | - Shin-Ichi Ohnuma
- Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London, London, EC1V 9EL, UK
| | - Noriaki Sasai
- Developmental Biomedical Science, Graduate School of Biological Sciences, Nara Institute of Science and Technology (NAIST), 8916-5, Takayama-cho, Ikoma 630-0192, Japan
| | - Roberto Mayor
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Karl Matter
- Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London, London, EC1V 9EL, UK.
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