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Liu M, Wang Y, Li H, Zhao Y, Ma M, Xu S, Wei X, Xu R, Tian R, Zhou X, Wu H. Differences in choroidal responses to near work between myopic children and young adults. EYE AND VISION (LONDON, ENGLAND) 2024; 11:12. [PMID: 38561862 PMCID: PMC10986059 DOI: 10.1186/s40662-024-00382-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2023] [Accepted: 03/13/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Near work is generally considered as a risk factor for myopia onset and progression. This study aimed to investigate the choroidal responses to a brief-period of near work in children and young adults. METHODS Thirty myopic medical students (aged 18-28 years) and 30 myopic children (aged 8-12 years) participated in this study. The submacular total choroidal area (TCA), luminal area (LA), stromal area (SA), choroidal vascularity index (CVI) and choriocapillaris flow deficit (CcFD), as well as subfoveal choroidal thickness (SFCT) were measured with swept-source optical coherence tomography/optical coherence tomography angiography (SS-OCT/OCTA) before and immediately after 20 min, 40 min, 60 min of near work at a distance of 33 cm. RESULTS In adults, 20 min of near work induced a significant reduction in SFCT (- 5.1 ± 6.5 μm), LA [(- 19.2 ± 18.6) × 103 μm2], SA [(- 8.2 ± 12.6) × 103 μm2] and TCA [(- 27.4 ± 24.9) × 103 μm2] (all P < 0.01). After 40 min of near work, LA was still reduced [(- 9.4 ± 18.3) × 103 μm2], accompanied with a decreased CVI (- 0.39% ± 0.70%) and an increased CcFD (0.30% ± 0.78%) (all P < 0.05). After 60 min of near work, CVI was still reduced (- 0.28% ± 0.59%), and CcFD was still increased (0.37% ± 0.75%) (all P < 0.05). In children, 20 min of near work induced a significant increase in CcFD (0.55% ± 0.64%), while 60 min of near work induced increases in SA [(7.2 ± 13.0) × 103 μm2] and TCA [(9.7 ± 25.3) × 103 μm2] and a reduction in CVI (- 0.28% ± 0.72%) (all P < 0.05). Children exhibited lower near work-induced LA and TCA reduction than adults, with a mean difference of - 0.86% and - 0.82%, respectively (all P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS The temporal characteristics and magnitude of changes of choroidal vascularity and choriocapillaris perfusion during near work was not identical between children and adults. The initial response to near work was observed in choriocapillaris in children, whereas it was observed in the medium- and large-sized vessels in adults. TRIAL REGISTRATION Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR), ChiCTR2000040205. Registered on 25 November 2020, https://www.chictr.org.cn/bin/project/edit?pid=64501 .
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengqi Liu
- National Clinical Research Center for Ocular Diseases, Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325027, China
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Optometry and Visual Science, Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325027, China
| | - Yuanyuan Wang
- National Clinical Research Center for Ocular Diseases, Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325027, China
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Optometry and Visual Science, Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325027, China
| | - Haoer Li
- National Clinical Research Center for Ocular Diseases, Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325027, China
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Optometry and Visual Science, Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325027, China
| | - Yunpeng Zhao
- National Clinical Research Center for Ocular Diseases, Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325027, China
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Optometry and Visual Science, Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325027, China
| | - Min Ma
- National Clinical Research Center for Ocular Diseases, Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325027, China
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Optometry and Visual Science, Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325027, China
| | - Shihan Xu
- National Clinical Research Center for Ocular Diseases, Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325027, China
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Optometry and Visual Science, Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325027, China
| | - Xiaohuan Wei
- National Clinical Research Center for Ocular Diseases, Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325027, China
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Optometry and Visual Science, Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325027, China
| | - Ruiyan Xu
- National Clinical Research Center for Ocular Diseases, Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325027, China
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Optometry and Visual Science, Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325027, China
| | - Ruikang Tian
- National Clinical Research Center for Ocular Diseases, Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325027, China
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Optometry and Visual Science, Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325027, China
| | - Xiangtian Zhou
- National Clinical Research Center for Ocular Diseases, Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325027, China.
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Optometry and Visual Science, Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325027, China.
- Research Unit of Myopia Basic Research and Clinical Prevention and Control, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (2019RU025), Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China.
| | - Hao Wu
- National Clinical Research Center for Ocular Diseases, Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325027, China.
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Optometry and Visual Science, Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325027, China.
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Chen J, Curcio CA, Crosson JN. Shotgun lipidomics of human subretinal fluids under rod-dominant retina reveals cone-dominated lipids. Exp Eye Res 2024; 240:109807. [PMID: 38278468 DOI: 10.1016/j.exer.2024.109807] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2023] [Revised: 01/08/2024] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 01/28/2024]
Abstract
Subretinal fluid (SRF) accumulates between photoreceptor outer segments and retinal pigment epithelium during rhegmatogenous retinal detachment. Biomolecular components such as lipids originate from cells surrounding the SRF. Knowledge of the composition of these molecules in SRF potentially provides mechanistic insight into the physiologic transfer of lipids between retinal tissue compartments. Using mass spectrometry and tandem mass spectrometry analysis on an electrospray ionization quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometer, we identified a total of 115 lipid molecular species of 11 subclasses and 9 classes in two samples from two patients with rhegmatogenous retinal detachment. These included 47 glycerophosphocholines, 6 glycerophosphoethanolamines, 1 glycerophosphoinositol, 18 sphingomyelins, 9 cholesteryl esters, free cholesterol, 3 ceramides, 22 triacylglycerols and 8 free fatty acids. Glycerophosphocholines were of the highest intensity. By minimizing the formation of different adduct forms or clustering ions of different adducts, we determined the relative intensity of lipid molecular species within the same subclasses. The profiles were compared with those of retinal cells available in the published literature. The glycerophosphocholine profile of SRF was similar to that of cone outer segments, suggesting that outer segment degradation products are constitutively released into the interphotoreceptor matrix, appearing in SRF during detachment. This hypothesis was supported by the retinal distributions of corresponding lipid synthases' mRNA expression obtained from an online resource based on publicly available single-cell sequencing data. In contrast, based on lipid profiles and relevant gene expression in this study, the sources of free cholesterol and cholesteryl esters in SRF appeared more ambiguous, possibly reflecting that outer retina takes up plasma lipoproteins. Further studies to identify and quantify lipids in SRF will help better understand etiology of diseases relevant to outer retina.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianzhong Chen
- Center for Biotechnology & Genomic Medicine, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, GA, United States; Department of Cellular Biology & Anatomy, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, GA, United States; Department of Optometry and Vision Science, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States.
| | - Christine A Curcio
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States.
| | - Jason N Crosson
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
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3
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Huang L, Ye L, Li R, Zhang S, Qu C, Li S, Li J, Yang M, Wu B, Chen R, Huang G, Gong B, Li Z, Yang H, Yu M, Shi Y, Wang C, Chen W, Yang Z. Dynamic human retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) and choroid architecture based on single-cell transcriptomic landscape analysis. Genes Dis 2023; 10:2540-2556. [PMID: 37554187 PMCID: PMC10404887 DOI: 10.1016/j.gendis.2022.11.007] [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: 11/24/2021] [Revised: 10/24/2022] [Accepted: 11/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) and choroid are located behind the human retina and have multiple functions in the human visual system. Knowledge of the RPE and choroid cells and their gene expression profiles are fundamental for understanding retinal disease mechanisms and therapeutic strategies. Here, we sequenced the RNA of about 0.3 million single cells from human RPE and choroids across two regions and seven ages, revealing regional and age differences within the human RPE and choroid. Cell-cell interactions highlight the broad connectivity networks between the RPE and different choroid cell types. Moreover, the transcription factors and their target genes change during aging. The coding of somatic variations increases during aging in the human RPE and choroid at the single-cell level. Moreover, we identified ELN as a candidate for improving RPE degeneration and choroidal structure during aging. The mapping of the molecular architecture of the human RPE and choroid improves our understanding of the human vision support system and offers potential insights into the intervention targets for retinal diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lulin Huang
- Sichuan Provincial Key Laboratory for Human Disease Gene Study, Center for Medical Genetics, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan 610072, China
- Research Unit for Blindness Prevention of Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (2019RU026), Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu, Sichuan 610072, China
| | - Lin Ye
- Sichuan Provincial Key Laboratory for Human Disease Gene Study, Center for Medical Genetics, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan 610072, China
| | - Runze Li
- Sichuan Provincial Key Laboratory for Human Disease Gene Study, Center for Medical Genetics, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan 610072, China
| | - Shanshan Zhang
- Sichuan Provincial Key Laboratory for Human Disease Gene Study, Center for Medical Genetics, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan 610072, China
| | - Chao Qu
- Department of Ophthalmology, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan 610072, China
| | - Shujin Li
- Sichuan Provincial Key Laboratory for Human Disease Gene Study, Center for Medical Genetics, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan 610072, China
| | - Jie Li
- Department of Ophthalmology, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan 610072, China
| | - Mu Yang
- Sichuan Provincial Key Laboratory for Human Disease Gene Study, Center for Medical Genetics, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan 610072, China
| | - Biao Wu
- School of Ophthalmology and Optometry, Wenzhou Medical College, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325035, China
| | - Ran Chen
- School of Ophthalmology and Optometry, Wenzhou Medical College, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325035, China
| | - Guo Huang
- Sichuan Provincial Key Laboratory for Human Disease Gene Study, Center for Medical Genetics, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan 610072, China
| | - Bo Gong
- Sichuan Provincial Key Laboratory for Human Disease Gene Study, Center for Medical Genetics, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan 610072, China
| | - Zheng Li
- Sichuan Provincial Key Laboratory for Human Disease Gene Study, Center for Medical Genetics, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan 610072, China
| | - Hongjie Yang
- Department of Organ Transplant Center, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan 610072, China
| | - Man Yu
- Department of Ophthalmology, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan 610072, China
| | - Yi Shi
- Sichuan Provincial Key Laboratory for Human Disease Gene Study, Center for Medical Genetics, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan 610072, China
| | - Changguan Wang
- Department of Ophthalmology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing 100730, China
| | - Wei Chen
- School of Ophthalmology and Optometry, Wenzhou Medical College, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325035, China
| | - Zhenglin Yang
- Sichuan Provincial Key Laboratory for Human Disease Gene Study, Center for Medical Genetics, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan 610072, China
- Research Unit for Blindness Prevention of Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (2019RU026), Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu, Sichuan 610072, China
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Wolf J, Rasmussen DK, Sun YJ, Vu JT, Wang E, Espinosa C, Bigini F, Chang RT, Montague AA, Tang PH, Mruthyunjaya P, Aghaeepour N, Dufour A, Bassuk AG, Mahajan VB. Liquid-biopsy proteomics combined with AI identifies cellular drivers of eye aging and disease in vivo. Cell 2023; 186:4868-4884.e12. [PMID: 37863056 PMCID: PMC10720485 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2023.09.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2023] [Revised: 07/26/2023] [Accepted: 09/13/2023] [Indexed: 10/22/2023]
Abstract
Single-cell analysis in living humans is essential for understanding disease mechanisms, but it is impractical in non-regenerative organs, such as the eye and brain, because tissue biopsies would cause serious damage. We resolve this problem by integrating proteomics of liquid biopsies with single-cell transcriptomics from all known ocular cell types to trace the cellular origin of 5,953 proteins detected in the aqueous humor. We identified hundreds of cell-specific protein markers, including for individual retinal cell types. Surprisingly, our results reveal that retinal degeneration occurs in Parkinson's disease, and the cells driving diabetic retinopathy switch with disease stage. Finally, we developed artificial intelligence (AI) models to assess individual cellular aging and found that many eye diseases not associated with chronological age undergo accelerated molecular aging of disease-specific cell types. Our approach, which can be applied to other organ systems, has the potential to transform molecular diagnostics and prognostics while uncovering new cellular disease and aging mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julian Wolf
- Molecular Surgery Laboratory, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA; Department of Ophthalmology, Byers Eye Institute, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA
| | - Ditte K Rasmussen
- Molecular Surgery Laboratory, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA; Department of Ophthalmology, Byers Eye Institute, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA; Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Young Joo Sun
- Molecular Surgery Laboratory, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA; Department of Ophthalmology, Byers Eye Institute, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA
| | - Jennifer T Vu
- Molecular Surgery Laboratory, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA; Department of Ophthalmology, Byers Eye Institute, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA
| | - Elena Wang
- Molecular Surgery Laboratory, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA; Department of Ophthalmology, Byers Eye Institute, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA
| | - Camilo Espinosa
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Department of Biomedical Data Science, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Fabio Bigini
- Molecular Surgery Laboratory, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA; Department of Ophthalmology, Byers Eye Institute, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA
| | - Robert T Chang
- Department of Ophthalmology, Byers Eye Institute, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA
| | - Artis A Montague
- Department of Ophthalmology, Byers Eye Institute, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA
| | - Peter H Tang
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Neurosciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA; Retina Consultants of Minnesota, Edina, MN 55435, USA
| | - Prithvi Mruthyunjaya
- Department of Ophthalmology, Byers Eye Institute, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA
| | - Nima Aghaeepour
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Department of Biomedical Data Science, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Antoine Dufour
- Departments of Physiology and Pharmacology & Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Alexander G Bassuk
- Departments of Pediatrics and Neurology, The Iowa Neuroscience Institute (INI), University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
| | - Vinit B Mahajan
- Molecular Surgery Laboratory, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA; Department of Ophthalmology, Byers Eye Institute, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA; Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA.
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Voigt AP, Mullin NK, Navratil EM, Flamme-Wiese MJ, Lin LC, Scheetz TE, Han IC, Stone EM, Tucker BA, Mullins RF. Gene Expression Within a Human Choroidal Neovascular Membrane Using Spatial Transcriptomics. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2023; 64:40. [PMID: 37878301 PMCID: PMC10615143 DOI: 10.1167/iovs.64.13.40] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2023] [Accepted: 10/07/2023] [Indexed: 10/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Purpose Macular neovascularization is a relatively common and potentially visually devastating complication of age-related macular degeneration. In macular neovascularization, pathologic angiogenesis can originate from either the choroid or the retina, but we have limited understanding of how different cell types become dysregulated in this dynamic process. Methods To study how gene expression is altered in focal areas of pathology, we performed spatial RNA sequencing on a human donor eye with macular neovascularization as well as a healthy control donor. We performed differential expression to identify genes enriched within the area of macular neovascularization and used deconvolution algorithms to predict the originating cell type of these dysregulated genes. Results Within the area of neovascularization, endothelial cells demonstrated increased expression of genes related to Rho family GTPase signaling and integrin signaling. Likewise, VEGF and TGFB1 were identified as potential upstream regulators that could drive the observed gene expression changes produced by endothelial and retinal pigment epithelium cells in the macular neovascularization donor. These spatial gene expression profiles were compared to previous single-cell gene expression experiments in human age-related macular degeneration as well as a model of laser-induced neovascularization in mice. As a secondary aim, we investigated regional gene expression patterns within the macular neural retina and between the macular and peripheral choroid. Conclusions Overall, this study spatially analyzes gene expression across the retina, retinal pigment epithelium, and choroid in health and describes a set of candidate molecules that become dysregulated in macular neovascularization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew P. Voigt
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, Iowa, United States
- Institute for Vision Research, the University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, United States
| | - Nathaniel K. Mullin
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, Iowa, United States
- Institute for Vision Research, the University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, United States
| | - Emma M. Navratil
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, Iowa, United States
- Institute for Vision Research, the University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, United States
| | - Miles J. Flamme-Wiese
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, Iowa, United States
- Institute for Vision Research, the University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, United States
| | - Li-Chun Lin
- University of Iowa Neuroscience Institute, the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, Iowa, United States
| | - Todd E. Scheetz
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, Iowa, United States
- Institute for Vision Research, the University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, United States
| | - Ian C. Han
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, Iowa, United States
- Institute for Vision Research, the University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, United States
| | - Edwin M. Stone
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, Iowa, United States
- Institute for Vision Research, the University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, United States
| | - Budd A. Tucker
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, Iowa, United States
- Institute for Vision Research, the University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, United States
| | - Robert F. Mullins
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, Iowa, United States
- Institute for Vision Research, the University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, United States
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Tan Y, Huang J, Li D, Zou C, Liu D, Qin B. Single-cell RNA sequencing in dissecting microenvironment of age-related macular degeneration: Challenges and perspectives. Ageing Res Rev 2023; 90:102030. [PMID: 37549871 DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2023.102030] [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: 09/16/2022] [Revised: 04/29/2023] [Accepted: 08/04/2023] [Indexed: 08/09/2023]
Abstract
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of blindness in individuals over the age of 50 years, yet its etiology and pathogenesis largely remain uncovered. Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) technologies are recently developed and have a number of advantages over conventional bulk RNA sequencing techniques in uncovering the heterogeneity of complex microenvironments containing numerous cell types and cell communications during various biological processes. In this review, we summarize the latest discovered cellular components and regulatory mechanisms during AMD development revealed by scRNA-seq. In addition, we discuss the main challenges and future directions in exploring the pathophysiology of AMD equipped with single-cell technologies. Our review underscores the importance of multimodal single-cell platforms (such as single-cell spatiotemporal multi-omics and single-cell exosome omics) as new approaches for basic and clinical AMD research in identifying biomarker, characterizing cellular responses to drug treatment and environmental stimulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yao Tan
- Shenzhen Aier Eye Hospital, Aier Eye Hospital, Jinan University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Jianguo Huang
- Shenzhen Aier Eye Hospital, Aier Eye Hospital, Jinan University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Deshuang Li
- Shenzhen Aier Eye Hospital, Aier Eye Hospital, Jinan University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Chang Zou
- Shenzhen Aier Eye Hospital, Aier Eye Hospital, Jinan University, Shenzhen, China; Shenzhen Aier Ophthalmic Technology Institute, Shenzhen, China; School of Life and Health Sciences, The Chinese University of Kong Hong, Shenzhen 518000, Guangdong, China.
| | - Dongcheng Liu
- Shenzhen Aier Eye Hospital, Aier Eye Hospital, Jinan University, Shenzhen, China; Shenzhen Aier Ophthalmic Technology Institute, Shenzhen, China.
| | - Bo Qin
- Shenzhen Aier Eye Hospital, Aier Eye Hospital, Jinan University, Shenzhen, China; Shenzhen Aier Ophthalmic Technology Institute, Shenzhen, China; Aier School of Ophthalmology, Central South University, Changsha, China.
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7
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Khan AH, Chowers I, Lotery AJ. Beyond the Complement Cascade: Insights into Systemic Immunosenescence and Inflammaging in Age-Related Macular Degeneration and Current Barriers to Treatment. Cells 2023; 12:1708. [PMID: 37443742 PMCID: PMC10340338 DOI: 10.3390/cells12131708] [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: 05/27/2023] [Revised: 06/22/2023] [Accepted: 06/22/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Landmark genetic studies have revealed the effect of complement biology and its regulation on the pathogenesis of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Limited phase 3 clinical trial data showing a benefit of complement inhibition in AMD raises the prospect of more complex mediators at play. Substantial evidence supports the role of para-inflammation in maintaining homeostasis in the retina and choroid. With increasing age, a decline in immune system regulation, known as immunosenescence, has been shown to alter the equilibrium maintained by para-inflammation. The altered equilibrium results in chronic, sterile inflammation with aging, termed 'inflammaging', including in the retina and choroid. The chronic inflammatory state in AMD is complex, with contributions from cells of the innate and adaptive branches of the immune system, sometimes with overlapping features, and the interaction of their secretory products with retinal cells such as microglia and retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), extracellular matrix and choroidal vascular endothelial cells. In this review, the chronic inflammatory state in AMD will be explored by immune cell type, with a discussion of factors that will need to be overcome in the development of curative therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adnan H. Khan
- Clinical and Experimental Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ, UK
- Southampton Eye Unit, University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, Southampton SO16 6YD, UK
| | - Itay Chowers
- Department of Ophthalmology, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem 91120, Israel
- Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 91121, Israel
| | - Andrew J. Lotery
- Clinical and Experimental Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ, UK
- Southampton Eye Unit, University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, Southampton SO16 6YD, UK
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8
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Voigt AP, Mullin NK, Navratil EM, Flamme-Wiese MJ, Lin LC, Scheetz TE, Han IC, Stone EM, Tucker BA, Mullins RF. GENE EXPRESSION WITHIN A HUMAN CHOROIDAL NEOVASCULAR MEMBRANE USING SPATIAL TRANSCRIPTOMICS. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.06.16.544770. [PMID: 37398429 PMCID: PMC10312719 DOI: 10.1101/2023.06.16.544770] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/04/2023]
Abstract
Macular neovascularization is a relatively common and potentially visually devastating complication of age-related macular degeneration. In macular neovascularization, pathologic angiogenesis can originate from either the choroid or the retina, but we have limited understanding of how different cell types become dysregulated in this dynamic process. In this study, we performed spatial RNA sequencing on a human donor eye with macular neovascularization as well as a healthy control donor. We identified genes enriched within the area of macular neovascularization and used deconvolution algorithms to predict the originating cell type of these dysregulated genes. Within the area of neovascularization, endothelial cells were predicted to increase expression of genes related to Rho family GTPase signaling and integrin signaling. Likewise, VEGF and TGFB1 were identified as potential upstream regulators that could drive the observed gene expression changes produced by endothelial and retinal pigment epithelium cells in the macular neovascularization donor. These spatial gene expression profiles were compared to previous single-cell gene expression experiments in human age-related macular degeneration as well as a model of laser-induced neovascularization in mice. As a secondary aim, we also investigated spatial gene expression patterns within the macular neural retina and between the macular and peripheral choroid. We recapitulated previously described regional-specific gene expression patterns across both tissues. Overall, this study spatially analyzes gene expression across the retina, retinal pigment epithelium, and choroid in health and describes a set of candidate molecules that become dysregulated in macular neovascularization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew P. Voigt
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA, 52242
- Institute for Vision Research, the University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 52242
| | - Nathaniel K. Mullin
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA, 52242
- Institute for Vision Research, the University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 52242
| | - Emma M. Navratil
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA, 52242
- Institute for Vision Research, the University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 52242
| | - Miles J. Flamme-Wiese
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA, 52242
- Institute for Vision Research, the University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 52242
| | - Li-Chun Lin
- University of Iowa Neuroscience Institute, the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA, 52242
| | - Todd E. Scheetz
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA, 52242
- Institute for Vision Research, the University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 52242
| | - Ian C. Han
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA, 52242
- Institute for Vision Research, the University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 52242
| | - Edwin M. Stone
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA, 52242
- Institute for Vision Research, the University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 52242
| | - Budd A. Tucker
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA, 52242
- Institute for Vision Research, the University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 52242
| | - Robert F. Mullins
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA, 52242
- Institute for Vision Research, the University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 52242
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9
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Collin J, Hasoon MSR, Zerti D, Hammadi S, Dorgau B, Clarke L, Steel D, Hussain R, Coxhead J, Lisgo S, Queen R, Lako M. Single-cell RNA sequencing reveals transcriptional changes of human choroidal and retinal pigment epithelium cells during fetal development, in healthy adult and intermediate age-related macular degeneration. Hum Mol Genet 2023; 32:1698-1710. [PMID: 36645183 PMCID: PMC10162434 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddad007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2022] [Revised: 01/04/2023] [Accepted: 01/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most prevalent cause of blindness in the developed world. Vision loss in the advanced stages of the disease is caused by atrophy of retinal photoreceptors, overlying retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) and choroidal endothelial cells. The molecular events that underline the development of these cell types from in utero to adult as well as the progression to intermediate and advanced stages AMD are not yet fully understood. We performed single-cell RNA-sequencing (RNA-Seq) of human fetal and adult RPE-choroidal tissues, profiling in detail all the cell types and elucidating cell type-specific proliferation, differentiation and immunomodulation events that occur up to midgestation. Our data demonstrate that progression from the fetal to adult state is characterized by an increase in expression of genes involved in the oxidative stress response and detoxification from heavy metals, suggesting a better defence against oxidative stress in the adult RPE-choroid tissue. Single-cell comparative transcriptional analysis between a patient with intermediate AMD and an unaffected subject revealed a reduction in the number of RPE cells and melanocytes in the macular region of the AMD patient. Together these findings may suggest a macular loss of RPE cells and melanocytes in the AMD patients, but given the complex processing of tissues required for single-cell RNA-Seq that is prone to technical artefacts, these findings need to be validated by additional techniques in a larger number of AMD patients and controls.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph Collin
- Biosciences Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle, NE1 3BZ, UK
| | - Megan S R Hasoon
- Biosciences Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle, NE1 3BZ, UK
| | - Darin Zerti
- Biosciences Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle, NE1 3BZ, UK
- Microscopy Centre and Department of Applied Clinical Sciences and Biotechnology, University of L’Aquila, L'aquila 67100, Italy
| | - Sarah Hammadi
- Biosciences Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle, NE1 3BZ, UK
| | - Birthe Dorgau
- Biosciences Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle, NE1 3BZ, UK
| | - Lucy Clarke
- Department of Ophthalmology, Royal Victoria Infirmary and Newcastle University, Newcastle, NE1 4LP, UK
| | - David Steel
- Biosciences Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle, NE1 3BZ, UK
| | - Rafiqul Hussain
- Biosciences Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle, NE1 3BZ, UK
| | - Jonathan Coxhead
- Biosciences Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle, NE1 3BZ, UK
| | - Steven Lisgo
- Biosciences Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle, NE1 3BZ, UK
| | - Rachel Queen
- Biosciences Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle, NE1 3BZ, UK
| | - Majlinda Lako
- Biosciences Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle, NE1 3BZ, UK
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10
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Rämö JT, Abner E, van Dijk EHC, Wang X, Brinks J, Nikopensius T, Nõukas M, Marjonen H, Silander K, Jukarainen S, Kiiskinen T, Choi SH, Kajanne R, Mehtonen J, Palta P, Lubitz SA, Kaarniranta K, Sobrin L, Kurki M, Yzer S, Ellinor PT, Esko T, Daly MJ, den Hollander AI, Palotie A, Turunen JA, Boon CJF, Rossin EJ. Overlap of Genetic Loci for Central Serous Chorioretinopathy With Age-Related Macular Degeneration. JAMA Ophthalmol 2023; 141:449-457. [PMID: 37079300 PMCID: PMC10119776 DOI: 10.1001/jamaophthalmol.2023.0706] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2022] [Accepted: 02/12/2023] [Indexed: 04/21/2023]
Abstract
Importance Central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC) is a serous maculopathy of unknown etiology. Two of 3 previously reported CSC genetic risk loci are also associated with AMD. Improved understanding of CSC genetics may broaden our understanding of this genetic overlap and unveil mechanisms in both diseases. Objective To identify novel genetic risk factors for CSC and compare genetic risk factors for CSC and AMD. Design, Setting, and Participants Using International Classification of Diseases, Ninth (ICD-9) and Tenth (ICD-10) Revision code-based inclusion and exclusion criteria, patients with CSC and controls were identified in both the FinnGen study and the Estonian Biobank (EstBB). Also included in a meta-analysis were previously reported patients with chronic CSC and controls. Data were analyzed from March 1 to September 31, 2022. Main Outcomes and Measures Genome-wide association studies (GWASs) were performed in the biobank-based cohorts followed by a meta-analysis of all cohorts. The expression of genes prioritized by the polygenic priority score and nearest-gene methods were assessed in cultured choroidal endothelial cells and public ocular single-cell RNA sequencing data sets. The predictive utility of polygenic scores (PGSs) for CSC and AMD were evaluated in the FinnGen study. Results A total of 1176 patients with CSC and 526 787 controls (312 162 female [59.3%]) were included in this analysis: 552 patients with CSC and 343 461 controls were identified in the FinnGen study, 103 patients with CSC and 178 573 controls were identified in the EstBB, and 521 patients with chronic CSC and 3577 controls were included in a meta-analysis. Two previously reported CSC risk loci were replicated (near CFH and GATA5) and 3 novel loci were identified (near CD34/46, NOTCH4, and PREX1). The CFH and NOTCH4 loci were associated with AMD but in the opposite direction. Prioritized genes showed increased expression in cultured choroidal endothelial cells compared with other genes in the loci (median [IQR] of log 2 [counts per million], 7.3 [0.6] vs 4.7 [3.7]; P = .004) and were differentially expressed in choroidal vascular endothelial cells in single-cell RNA sequencing data (mean [SD] fold change, 2.05 [0.38] compared with other cell types; P < 7.1 × 10-20). A PGS for AMD was predictive of reduced CSC risk (odds ratio, 0.76; 95% CI, 0.70-0.83 per +1 SD in AMD-PGS; P = 7.4 × 10-10). This association may have been mediated by loci containing complement genes. Conclusions and Relevance In this 3-cohort genetic association study, 5 genetic risk loci for CSC were identified, highlighting a likely role for genes involved in choroidal vascular function and complement regulation. Results suggest that polygenic AMD risk was associated with reduced risk of CSC and that this genetic overlap was largely due to loci containing complement genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joel T. Rämö
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), Helsinki Institute of Life Science (HiLIFE), University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Boston
- Cardiovascular Disease Initiative, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston
| | - Erik Abner
- Department of Ophthalmology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | | | - Xin Wang
- Cardiovascular Disease Initiative, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Joost Brinks
- Department of Ophthalmology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | | | - Margit Nõukas
- Estonian Genome Center, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Heidi Marjonen
- Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Kaisa Silander
- Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Sakari Jukarainen
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), Helsinki Institute of Life Science (HiLIFE), University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Tuomo Kiiskinen
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), Helsinki Institute of Life Science (HiLIFE), University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Seung Hoan Choi
- Cardiovascular Disease Initiative, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts
- Department of Biostatistics, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Risto Kajanne
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), Helsinki Institute of Life Science (HiLIFE), University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Juha Mehtonen
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), Helsinki Institute of Life Science (HiLIFE), University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Priit Palta
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), Helsinki Institute of Life Science (HiLIFE), University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Ophthalmology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Steven A. Lubitz
- Cardiovascular Disease Initiative, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston
| | - Kai Kaarniranta
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Eastern Finland and Kuopio University Hospital, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Lucia Sobrin
- Harvard Medical School Department of Ophthalmology, Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Boston
| | - Mitja Kurki
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), Helsinki Institute of Life Science (HiLIFE), University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts
- Psychiatric and Neurodevelopmental Genetics Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston
| | - Suzanne Yzer
- Department of Ophthalmology, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Patrick T. Ellinor
- Cardiovascular Disease Initiative, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston
| | - Tõnu Esko
- Department of Ophthalmology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Mark J. Daly
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), Helsinki Institute of Life Science (HiLIFE), University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Analytic and Translational Genetics Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Anneke I. den Hollander
- Department of Ophthalmology, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
- Genomics Research Center, AbbVie, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Aarno Palotie
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), Helsinki Institute of Life Science (HiLIFE), University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Psychiatric and Neurodevelopmental Genetics Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston
- Analytic and Translational Genetics Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston
| | - Joni A. Turunen
- Folkhälsan Research Center, Biomedicum, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Camiel J. F. Boon
- Estonian Genome Center, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
- Department of Ophthalmology, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Elizabeth J. Rossin
- Harvard Medical School Department of Ophthalmology, Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Boston
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts
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11
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Haarman AE, Klaver CC, Tedja MS, Roosing S, Astuti G, Gilissen C, Hoefsloot LH, van Tienhoven M, Brands T, Magielsen FJ, Eussen BH, de Klein A, Brosens E, Verhoeven VJ. Identification of rare variants involved in high myopia unraveled by whole genome sequencing. OPHTHALMOLOGY SCIENCE 2023; 3:100303. [DOI: 10.1016/j.xops.2023.100303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2022] [Revised: 03/24/2023] [Accepted: 03/31/2023] [Indexed: 04/09/2023]
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12
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Correa VSMC, Efstathiou NE, Ntentakis DP, Yu Z, Narimatsu T, Gragoudas E, Kim IK, Vavvas DG. The NLRP3 inflammasome - interleukin 1β axis in uveal melanoma. FEBS Open Bio 2023; 13:545-555. [PMID: 36707938 PMCID: PMC9989921 DOI: 10.1002/2211-5463.13566] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2022] [Revised: 01/10/2023] [Accepted: 01/26/2023] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Uveal melanoma (UM) is the most common primary intraocular cancer in the adult population. Recent studies suggested that the NLRP3 inflammasome could be a therapeutic target for cutaneous melanoma (CM), but the role of NLRP3 in UM remains unknown. Here, we analyzed the NLRP3-IL-1β axis in 5 UM and 4 CM cell lines. Expression of NLRP3 mRNA in UM and CM was low, and expression in UM was lower than in CM (P < 0.001). NLRP3 protein levels were below detection limit for all cell lines. UM exhibited lower baseline IL-1β secretion than CM, especially when compared to the Hs294t cell line (P < 0.05). Bioinformatic analysis of human tumor samples showed that UM has significantly lower expression of NLRP3 and IL-1β compared with CM. In conclusion, our work shows evidence of extremely low NLRP3 expression and IL-1β secretion by melanoma cells and highlight differences between CM and UM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victor S. M. C. Correa
- Retina Service, Ines and Fred Yeatts Retina Research Laboratory, Angiogenesis Laboratory, Department of OphthalmologyMassachusetts Eye and Ear, Harvard Medical SchoolBostonMAUSA
| | - Nikolaos E. Efstathiou
- Retina Service, Ines and Fred Yeatts Retina Research Laboratory, Angiogenesis Laboratory, Department of OphthalmologyMassachusetts Eye and Ear, Harvard Medical SchoolBostonMAUSA
| | - Dimitrios P. Ntentakis
- Retina Service, Ines and Fred Yeatts Retina Research Laboratory, Angiogenesis Laboratory, Department of OphthalmologyMassachusetts Eye and Ear, Harvard Medical SchoolBostonMAUSA
| | - Zhen Yu
- Retina Service, Ines and Fred Yeatts Retina Research Laboratory, Angiogenesis Laboratory, Department of OphthalmologyMassachusetts Eye and Ear, Harvard Medical SchoolBostonMAUSA
| | - Toshio Narimatsu
- Retina Service, Ines and Fred Yeatts Retina Research Laboratory, Angiogenesis Laboratory, Department of OphthalmologyMassachusetts Eye and Ear, Harvard Medical SchoolBostonMAUSA
| | - Evangelos Gragoudas
- Retina Service, Ines and Fred Yeatts Retina Research Laboratory, Angiogenesis Laboratory, Department of OphthalmologyMassachusetts Eye and Ear, Harvard Medical SchoolBostonMAUSA
| | - Ivana K. Kim
- Retina Service, Ines and Fred Yeatts Retina Research Laboratory, Angiogenesis Laboratory, Department of OphthalmologyMassachusetts Eye and Ear, Harvard Medical SchoolBostonMAUSA
| | - Demetrios G. Vavvas
- Retina Service, Ines and Fred Yeatts Retina Research Laboratory, Angiogenesis Laboratory, Department of OphthalmologyMassachusetts Eye and Ear, Harvard Medical SchoolBostonMAUSA
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13
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Cheng W, Song Y, Gao X, Lin F, Li F, Wang P, Hu K, Li H, Li Y, Chen L, Jonas JB, Wang W, Zhang X. Axial Length and Choriocapillaris Flow Deficits in Non-pathological High Myopia. Am J Ophthalmol 2022; 244:68-78. [PMID: 35970207 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajo.2022.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2021] [Revised: 08/04/2022] [Accepted: 08/04/2022] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE To examine the relationship between axial length (AL) and choriocapillaris (CC) flow deficits percentage (FD%) in non-pathological highly myopic eyes. DESIGN Prospective cross-sectional study. METHODS This study included Chinese patients with non-pathological high myopia, which was defined by an AL of > 26 mm and a META-PM classification grade of <2. Swept-source optical coherence tomography angiography was used to obtain 6 × 6 mm images of the macular CC. The CC FD% was measured in the fovea, parafovea, and perifovea subfields. RESULTS A total of 1017 individuals (1017 eyes) with a mean age of 35.95 ± 14.11 years were included. After adjusting for age, sex, intraocular pressure, body mass index, systolic blood pressure, and image quality score, the overall CC FD% increased by 0.27% (95% CI 0.02, 0.52; P = .034) for each mm increase in AL. Among subfields, longer AL was associated with a higher CC FD% in the perifovea (β = 0.53, 95% CI 0.30, 0.77; P < .001), and was not associated with a higher CC FD% in the parafovea (β = 0.08, 95% CI -0.26, 0.42; P = .652) and fovea (β = 0.001, 95% CI -0.50, 0.50; P = .999). CONCLUSIONS The CC FD% increased with a longer AL in high myopia in the perifovea region but not in the fovea and parafovea fields. These findings may be of interest in elucidating the etiology of myopic axial elongation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weijing Cheng
- From State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China (W.C, Y.S, X.G, F.L, F.L, P.W, K.H, W.W, X.Z)
| | - Yunhe Song
- From State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China (W.C, Y.S, X.G, F.L, F.L, P.W, K.H, W.W, X.Z)
| | - Xinbo Gao
- From State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China (W.C, Y.S, X.G, F.L, F.L, P.W, K.H, W.W, X.Z)
| | - Fengbin Lin
- From State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China (W.C, Y.S, X.G, F.L, F.L, P.W, K.H, W.W, X.Z)
| | - Fei Li
- From State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China (W.C, Y.S, X.G, F.L, F.L, P.W, K.H, W.W, X.Z)
| | - Peiyuan Wang
- From State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China (W.C, Y.S, X.G, F.L, F.L, P.W, K.H, W.W, X.Z)
| | - Kun Hu
- From State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China (W.C, Y.S, X.G, F.L, F.L, P.W, K.H, W.W, X.Z)
| | - Hao Li
- Ophthalmology Department, Guizhou Provincial People's Hospital, Guiyang, China (H.L)
| | - Yingjie Li
- Department of Ophthalmology, The First Hospital of Nanchang City, Nanchang, China (Y.L)
| | - Lina Chen
- Department of Ophthalmology, The People's Third Hospital of Dalian, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China (L.C)
| | - Jost B Jonas
- Department of Ophthalmology, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Germany (J.B.J); Institute of Molecular and Clinical Ophthalmology Basel, Switzerland (J.B.J)
| | - Wei Wang
- From State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China (W.C, Y.S, X.G, F.L, F.L, P.W, K.H, W.W, X.Z).
| | - Xiulan Zhang
- From State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China (W.C, Y.S, X.G, F.L, F.L, P.W, K.H, W.W, X.Z).
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14
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Mungale A, McGaughey DM, Zhang C, Yousaf S, Liu J, Brooks BP, Maminishkis A, Fufa TD, Hufnagel RB. Transcriptional mapping of the macaque retina and RPE-choroid reveals conserved inter-tissue transcription drivers and signaling pathways. Front Genet 2022; 13:949449. [PMID: 36506320 PMCID: PMC9732541 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.949449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2022] [Accepted: 11/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The macula and fovea comprise a highly sensitive visual detection tissue that is susceptible to common disease processes like age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Our understanding of the molecular determinants of high acuity vision remains unclear, as few model organisms possess a human-like fovea. We explore transcription factor networks and receptor-ligand interactions to elucidate tissue interactions in the macula and peripheral retina and concomitant changes in the underlying retinal pigment epithelium (RPE)/choroid. Poly-A selected, 100 bp paired-end RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) was performed across the macular/foveal, perimacular, and temporal peripheral regions of the neural retina and RPE/choroid tissues of four adult Rhesus macaque eyes to characterize region- and tissue-specific gene expression. RNA-seq reads were mapped to both the macaque and human genomes for maximum alignment and analyzed for differential expression and Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment. Comparison of the neural retina and RPE/choroid tissues indicated distinct, contiguously changing gene expression profiles from fovea through perimacula to periphery. Top GO enrichment of differentially expressed genes in the RPE/choroid included cell junction organization and epithelial cell development. Expression of transcriptional regulators and various disease-associated genes show distinct location-specific preference and retina-RPE/choroid tissue-tissue interactions. Regional gene expression changes in the macaque retina and RPE/choroid is greater than that found in previously published transcriptome analysis of the human retina and RPE/choroid. Further, conservation of human macula-specific transcription factor profiles and gene expression in macaque tissues suggest a conservation of programs required for retina and RPE/choroid function and disease susceptibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ameera Mungale
- Medical Genetics and Ophthalmic Genomics Unit, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - David M. McGaughey
- Bioinformatics Group, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Congxiao Zhang
- Section on Epithelial and Retinal Physiology and Disease, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Sairah Yousaf
- Medical Genetics and Ophthalmic Genomics Unit, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - James Liu
- Medical Genetics and Ophthalmic Genomics Unit, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Brian P. Brooks
- Pediatric, Developmental and Genetic Ophthalmology, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Arvydas Maminishkis
- Section on Epithelial and Retinal Physiology and Disease, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Temesgen D. Fufa
- Medical Genetics and Ophthalmic Genomics Unit, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Robert B. Hufnagel
- Medical Genetics and Ophthalmic Genomics Unit, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States,*Correspondence: Robert B. Hufnagel,
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15
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Dhirachaikulpanich D, Lagger C, Chatsirisupachai K, de Magalhães JP, Paraoan L. Intercellular communication analysis of the human retinal pigment epithelial and choroidal cells predicts pathways associated with aging, cellular senescence and age-related macular degeneration. Front Aging Neurosci 2022; 14:1016293. [PMID: 36408112 PMCID: PMC9669800 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2022.1016293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2022] [Accepted: 10/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
The retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) and the choroid are ocular tissues with fundamental roles in supporting neuroretinal function. The pathogenesis of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a leading cause of irreversible blindness for which aging is the highest risk factor is closely linked with progressive impairment of various functions of these tissues. Cellular senescence, marked by cell cycle arrest and secretion of proinflammatory factors, is known to be associated with aging and has been proposed as a potential driver of AMD. Here, we investigated the role played by intercellular communication in the RPE/choroid within the context of aging, senescence and AMD. We inferred cell–cell interactions in the RPE/choroid by applying CellChat and scDiffCom on a publicly available scRNA-seq dataset from three human donors with and without AMD. We identified age-regulated ligand and receptor genes by using limma on a separate publicly available bulk microarray dataset providing RPE/choroid samples at multiple time points. Cellular senescence was investigated by assigning a score to each cell and each sample of these scRNA-seq and microarray datasets, respectively, based on the expression of key signature genes determined by a previous senescence meta-analysis. We identified VEGF-, BMP-and tenascin-mediated pathways supporting some of the strongest cell–cell interactions between RPE cells, fibroblasts and choroidal endothelial cells and as strong intercellular communication pathways related to both aging and senescence. Their signaling strength was enhanced between subpopulations of cells having high senescence scores. Predominant ligands of these pathways were upregulated with age whereas predominant receptors were downregulated. Globally, we also observed that cells from AMD samples presented slightly bigger senescence scores than normal cells and that the senescence score positively correlated with age in bulk samples (R = 0.26, value of p < 0.01). Hence, our analysis provides novel information on RPE/choroid intercellular communication that gives insights into the connection between aging, senescence and AMD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dhanach Dhirachaikulpanich
- Ocular Molecular Biology and Mechanisms of Disease Group, Institute of Life Course and Medical Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
- Faculty of Medicine, Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Cyril Lagger
- Integrative Genomics of Ageing Group, Institute of Life Course and Medical Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Kasit Chatsirisupachai
- Integrative Genomics of Ageing Group, Institute of Life Course and Medical Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - João Pedro de Magalhães
- Integrative Genomics of Ageing Group, Institute of Life Course and Medical Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
- *Correspondence: João Pedro de Magalhães,
| | - Luminita Paraoan
- Ocular Molecular Biology and Mechanisms of Disease Group, Institute of Life Course and Medical Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
- Luminita Paraoan,
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16
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Lehmann GL, Ginsberg M, Nolan DJ, Rodríguez C, Martínez-González J, Zeng S, Voigt AP, Mullins RF, Rafii S, Rodriguez-Boulan E, Benedicto I. Retinal Pigment Epithelium-Secreted VEGF-A Induces Alpha-2-Macroglobulin Expression in Endothelial Cells. Cells 2022; 11:2975. [PMID: 36230937 PMCID: PMC9564307 DOI: 10.3390/cells11192975] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2022] [Revised: 09/21/2022] [Accepted: 09/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Alpha-2-macroglobulin (A2M) is a protease inhibitor that regulates extracellular matrix (ECM) stability and turnover. Here, we show that A2M is expressed by endothelial cells (ECs) from human eye choroid. We demonstrate that retinal pigment epithelium (RPE)-conditioned medium induces A2M expression specifically in ECs. Experiments using chemical inhibitors, blocking antibodies, and recombinant proteins revealed a key role of VEGF-A in RPE-mediated A2M induction in ECs. Furthermore, incubation of ECs with RPE-conditioned medium reduces matrix metalloproteinase-2 gelatinase activity of culture supernatants, which is partially restored after A2M knockdown in ECs. We propose that dysfunctional RPE or choroidal blood vessels, as observed in retinal diseases such as age-related macular degeneration, may disrupt the crosstalk mechanism we describe here leading to alterations in the homeostasis of choroidal ECM, Bruch's membrane and visual function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guillermo L. Lehmann
- Margaret Dyson Vision Research Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065, USA
- Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Tarrytown, NY 10591, USA
| | | | | | - Cristina Rodríguez
- Institut de Recerca Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, 08041 Barcelona, Spain
- Institut d’Investigació Biomèdica Sant Pau (IIB SANT PAU), 08041 Barcelona, Spain
- CIBER de Enfermedades Cardiovasculares (CIBERCV), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - José Martínez-González
- Institut d’Investigació Biomèdica Sant Pau (IIB SANT PAU), 08041 Barcelona, Spain
- CIBER de Enfermedades Cardiovasculares (CIBERCV), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas de Barcelona-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IIBB-CSIC), 08036 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Shemin Zeng
- Institute for Vision Research, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52246, USA
| | - Andrew P. Voigt
- Institute for Vision Research, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52246, USA
| | - Robert F. Mullins
- Institute for Vision Research, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52246, USA
| | - Shahin Rafii
- Ansary Stem Cell Institute, Department of Medicine, Division of Regenerative Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Enrique Rodriguez-Boulan
- Margaret Dyson Vision Research Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Ignacio Benedicto
- Margaret Dyson Vision Research Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065, USA
- Departamento de Inmunología, Oftalmología y ORL, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
- Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC), 28029 Madrid, Spain
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17
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Mulfaul K, Russell JF, Voigt AP, Stone EM, Tucker BA, Mullins RF. The Essential Role of the Choriocapillaris in Vision: Novel Insights from Imaging and Molecular Biology. Annu Rev Vis Sci 2022; 8:33-52. [PMID: 36108103 PMCID: PMC9668353 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-vision-100820-085958] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/17/2023]
Abstract
The choriocapillaris, a dense capillary network located at the posterior pole of the eye, is essential for supporting normal vision, supplying nutrients, and removing waste products from photoreceptor cells and the retinal pigment epithelium. The anatomical location, heterogeneity, and homeostatic interactions with surrounding cell types make the choroid complex to study both in vivo and in vitro. Recent advances in single-cell RNA sequencing, in vivo imaging, and in vitro cell modeling are vastly improving our knowledge of the choroid and its role in normal health and in age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Histologically, loss of endothelial cells (ECs) of the choriocapillaris occurs early in AMD concomitant with elevated formation of the membrane attack complex of complement. Advanced imaging has allowed us to visualize early choroidal blood flow changes in AMD in living patients, supporting histological findings of loss of choroidal ECs. Single-cell RNA sequencing is being used to characterize choroidal cell types transcriptionally and discover their altered patterns of gene expression in aging and disease. Advances in induced pluripotent stem cell protocols and 3D cultures will allow us to closely mimic the in vivo microenvironment of the choroid in vitro to better understand the mechanism leading to choriocapillaris loss in AMD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelly Mulfaul
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences and the Institute for Vision Research, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA;
| | - Jonathan F Russell
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences and the Institute for Vision Research, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA;
| | - Andrew P Voigt
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences and the Institute for Vision Research, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA;
| | - Edwin M Stone
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences and the Institute for Vision Research, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA;
| | - Budd A Tucker
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences and the Institute for Vision Research, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA;
| | - Robert F Mullins
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences and the Institute for Vision Research, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA;
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18
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Navneet S, Rohrer B. Elastin turnover in ocular diseases: A special focus on age-related macular degeneration. Exp Eye Res 2022; 222:109164. [PMID: 35798060 PMCID: PMC9795808 DOI: 10.1016/j.exer.2022.109164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2022] [Revised: 06/08/2022] [Accepted: 06/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
The extracellular matrix (ECM) and its turnover play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of several inflammatory diseases, including age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Elastin, a critical protein component of the ECM, not only provides structural and mechanical support to tissues, but also mediates several intracellular and extracellular molecular signaling pathways. Abnormal turnover of elastin has pathological implications. In the eye elastin is a major structural component of Bruch's membrane (BrM), a critical ECM structure separating the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) from the choriocapillaris. Reduced integrity of macular BrM elastin, increased serum levels of elastin-derived peptides (EDPs), and elevated elastin antibodies have been reported in AMD. Existing reports suggest that elastases, the elastin-degrading enzymes secreted by RPE, infiltrating macrophages or neutrophils could be involved in BrM elastin degradation, thus contributing to AMD pathogenesis. EDPs derived from elastin degradation can increase inflammatory and angiogenic responses in tissues, and the elastin antibodies are shown to play roles in immune cell activity and complement activation. This review summarizes our current understanding on the elastases/elastin fragments-mediated mechanisms of AMD pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soumya Navneet
- Department of Ophthalmology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.
| | - Bärbel Rohrer
- Department of Ophthalmology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA; Department of Neurosciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA; Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center, Division of Research, Charleston, SC, USA.
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19
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Tan Y, Flynn WF, Sivajothi S, Luo D, Bozal SB, Davé M, Luciano AA, Robson P, Luciano DE, Courtois ET. Single-cell analysis of endometriosis reveals a coordinated transcriptional programme driving immunotolerance and angiogenesis across eutopic and ectopic tissues. Nat Cell Biol 2022; 24:1306-1318. [PMID: 35864314 PMCID: PMC9901845 DOI: 10.1038/s41556-022-00961-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2021] [Accepted: 06/09/2022] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Endometriosis is characterized by the growth of endometrial-like tissue outside the uterus. It affects many women during their reproductive age, causing years of pelvic pain and potential infertility. Its pathophysiology remains largely unknown, which limits early diagnosis and treatment. We characterized peritoneal and ovarian lesions at single-cell transcriptome resolution and compared them to matched eutopic endometrium, unaffected endometrium and organoids derived from these tissues, generating data on over 122,000 cells across 14 individuals. We spatially localized many of the cell types using imaging mass cytometry. We identify a perivascular mural cell specific to the peritoneal lesions, with dual roles in angiogenesis promotion and immune cell trafficking. We define an immunotolerant peritoneal niche, fundamental differences in eutopic endometrium and between lesion microenvironments and an unreported progenitor-like epithelial cell subpopulation. Altogether, this study provides a holistic view of the endometriosis microenvironment that represents a comprehensive cell atlas of the disease in individuals undergoing hormonal treatment, providing essential information for future therapeutics and diagnostics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuliana Tan
- The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, Farmington, CT, USA 06032,Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, CT, USA 06032
| | - William F. Flynn
- The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, Farmington, CT, USA 06032
| | | | - Diane Luo
- The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, Farmington, CT, USA 06032
| | - Suleyman B. Bozal
- The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, Farmington, CT, USA 06032
| | - Monica Davé
- The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, Farmington, CT, USA 06032,Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, CT, USA 06032
| | - Anthony A. Luciano
- Obstetrics and Gynecology at University of Connecticut, Farmington, CT, USA 06032
| | - Paul Robson
- The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, Farmington, CT, USA 06032,Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, CT, USA 06032,Institute for Systems Genomics, University of Connecticut, Farmington, CT, USA 06032,Corresponding authors
| | - Danielle E. Luciano
- Obstetrics and Gynecology at University of Connecticut, Farmington, CT, USA 06032,Corresponding authors
| | - Elise T. Courtois
- The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, Farmington, CT, USA 06032,Corresponding authors
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20
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Voigt AP, Mullin NK, Mulfaul K, Lozano LP, Wiley LA, Flamme-Wiese MJ, Boese EA, Han IC, Scheetz TE, Stone EM, Tucker BA, Mullins RF. Choroidal endothelial and macrophage gene expression in atrophic and neovascular macular degeneration. Hum Mol Genet 2022; 31:2406-2423. [PMID: 35181781 PMCID: PMC9307320 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddac043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2021] [Revised: 01/22/2022] [Accepted: 02/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The human choroid is a heterogeneous, highly vascular connective tissue that dysfunctions in age-related macular degeneration (AMD). In this study, we performed single-cell RNA sequencing on 21 human choroids, 11 of which were derived from donors with early atrophic or neovascular AMD. Using this large donor cohort, we identified new gene expression signatures and immunohistochemically characterized discrete populations of resident macrophages, monocytes/inflammatory macrophages and dendritic cells. These three immune populations demonstrated unique expression patterns for AMD genetic risk factors, with dendritic cells possessing the highest expression of the neovascular AMD-associated MMP9 gene. Additionally, we performed trajectory analysis to model transcriptomic changes across the choroidal vasculature, and we identified expression signatures for endothelial cells from choroidal arterioles and venules. Finally, we performed differential expression analysis between control, early atrophic AMD, and neovascular AMD samples, and we observed that early atrophic AMD samples had high expression of SPARCL1, a gene that has been shown to increase in response to endothelial damage. Likewise, neovascular endothelial cells harbored gene expression changes consistent with endothelial cell damage and demonstrated increased expression of the sialomucins CD34 and ENCM, which were also observed at the protein level within neovascular membranes. Overall, this study characterizes the molecular features of new populations of choroidal endothelial cells and mononuclear phagocytes in a large cohort of AMD and control human donors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew P Voigt
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, The University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
- Institute for Vision Research, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
| | - Nathaniel K Mullin
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, The University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
- Institute for Vision Research, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
| | - Kelly Mulfaul
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, The University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
- Institute for Vision Research, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
| | - Lola P Lozano
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, The University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
- Institute for Vision Research, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
| | - Luke A Wiley
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, The University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
- Institute for Vision Research, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
| | - Miles J Flamme-Wiese
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, The University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
- Institute for Vision Research, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
| | - Erin A Boese
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, The University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
- Institute for Vision Research, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
| | - Ian C Han
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, The University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
- Institute for Vision Research, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
| | - Todd E Scheetz
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, The University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
- Institute for Vision Research, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
| | - Edwin M Stone
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, The University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
- Institute for Vision Research, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
| | - Budd A Tucker
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, The University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
- Institute for Vision Research, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
| | - Robert F Mullins
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, The University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
- Institute for Vision Research, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
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21
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Sterling JK, Baumann B, Foshe S, Voigt A, Guttha S, Alnemri A, McCright SJ, Li M, Zauhar RJ, Montezuma SR, Kapphahn RJ, Chavali VRM, Hill DA, Ferrington DA, Stambolian D, Mullins RF, Merrick D, Dunaief JL. Inflammatory adipose activates a nutritional immunity pathway leading to retinal dysfunction. Cell Rep 2022; 39:110942. [PMID: 35705048 PMCID: PMC9248858 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.110942] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2021] [Revised: 01/24/2022] [Accepted: 05/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the leading cause of irreversible blindness among Americans over 50, is characterized by dysfunction and death of retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells. The RPE accumulates iron in AMD, and iron overload triggers RPE cell death in vitro and in vivo. However, the mechanism of RPE iron accumulation in AMD is unknown. We show that high-fat-diet-induced obesity, a risk factor for AMD, drives systemic and local inflammatory circuits upregulating interleukin-1β (IL-1β). IL-1β upregulates RPE iron importers and downregulates iron exporters, causing iron accumulation, oxidative stress, and dysfunction. We term this maladaptive, chronic activation of a nutritional immunity pathway the cellular iron sequestration response (CISR). RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) analysis of choroid and retina from human donors revealed that hallmarks of this pathway are present in AMD microglia and macrophages. Together, these data suggest that inflamed adipose tissue, through the CISR, can lead to RPE pathology in AMD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob K Sterling
- FM Kirby Center for Molecular Ophthalmology, Scheie Eye Institute, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Medical Scientist Training Program, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Bailey Baumann
- FM Kirby Center for Molecular Ophthalmology, Scheie Eye Institute, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Medical Scientist Training Program, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Sierra Foshe
- FM Kirby Center for Molecular Ophthalmology, Scheie Eye Institute, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Andrew Voigt
- Institute for Vision Research, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA; Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, The University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
| | - Samyuktha Guttha
- FM Kirby Center for Molecular Ophthalmology, Scheie Eye Institute, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Ahab Alnemri
- FM Kirby Center for Molecular Ophthalmology, Scheie Eye Institute, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Sam J McCright
- Medical Scientist Training Program, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Division of Allergy and Immunology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Mingyao Li
- Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Informatics, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Randy J Zauhar
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of the Sciences, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Sandra R Montezuma
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Neurosciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Rebecca J Kapphahn
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Neurosciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Venkata R M Chavali
- FM Kirby Center for Molecular Ophthalmology, Scheie Eye Institute, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - David A Hill
- Division of Allergy and Immunology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Institute of Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Deborah A Ferrington
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Neurosciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Dwight Stambolian
- FM Kirby Center for Molecular Ophthalmology, Scheie Eye Institute, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Robert F Mullins
- Institute for Vision Research, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA; Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, The University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
| | - David Merrick
- Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Institute of Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Joshua L Dunaief
- FM Kirby Center for Molecular Ophthalmology, Scheie Eye Institute, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
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22
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Domanskyi S, Hakansson A, Meng M, Pham BK, Graff Zivin JS, Piermarocchi C, Paternostro G, Ferrara N. Naturally occurring combinations of receptors from single cell transcriptomics in endothelial cells. Sci Rep 2022; 12:5807. [PMID: 35388065 PMCID: PMC8987085 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-09616-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2021] [Accepted: 03/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
VEGF inhibitor drugs are part of standard care in oncology and ophthalmology, but not all patients respond to them. Combinations of drugs are likely to be needed for more effective therapies of angiogenesis-related diseases. In this paper we describe naturally occurring combinations of receptors in endothelial cells that might help to understand how cells communicate and to identify targets for drug combinations. We also develop and share a new software tool called DECNEO to identify them. Single-cell gene expression data are used to identify a set of co-expressed endothelial cell receptors, conserved among species (mice and humans) and enriched, within a network, of connections to up-regulated genes. This set includes several receptors previously shown to play a role in angiogenesis. Multiple statistical tests from large datasets, including an independent validation set, support the reproducibility, evolutionary conservation and role in angiogenesis of these naturally occurring combinations of receptors. We also show tissue-specific combinations and, in the case of choroid endothelial cells, consistency with both well-established and recent experimental findings, presented in a separate paper. The results and methods presented here advance the understanding of signaling to endothelial cells. The methods are generally applicable to the decoding of intercellular combinations of signals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergii Domanskyi
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
| | - Alex Hakansson
- Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Michelle Meng
- Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Benjamin K Pham
- Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Joshua S Graff Zivin
- School of Global Policy and Strategy and Department of Economics, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, MC 0519, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Carlo Piermarocchi
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA.
| | | | - Napoleone Ferrara
- Moores Cancer Center, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA.
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23
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Cabrera AP, Stoddard J, Santiago Tierno I, Matisioudis N, Agarwal M, Renner L, Palegar N, Neuringer M, McGill T, Ghosh K. Increased cell stiffness contributes to complement-mediated injury of choroidal endothelial cells in a monkey model of early age-related macular degeneration. J Pathol 2022; 257:314-326. [PMID: 35239183 DOI: 10.1002/path.5892] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2021] [Revised: 02/03/2022] [Accepted: 03/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of blindness in the aging population. Yet, no therapies exist for approximately 85% of all AMD patients who have the dry form that is marked by degeneration of the retinal pigmented epithelium (RPE) and underlying choroidal vasculature. As the choroidal vessels are crucial for RPE development and maintenance, understanding how they degenerate may lead to effective therapies for dry AMD. One likely causative factor for choroidal vascular loss is the cytolytic membrane attack complex (MAC) of the complement pathway that is abundant on choroidal vessels of humans with early dry AMD. To examine this possibility, we studied the effect of complement activation on choroidal endothelial cells (ECs) isolated from a rhesus monkey model of early AMD that, we report, exhibits MAC deposition and choriocapillaris endothelial loss similar to that seen in human early AMD. Treatment of choroidal ECs from AMD eyes with complement-competent normal human serum caused extensive actin cytoskeletal injury that was significantly less pronounced in choroidal ECs from young normal monkey eyes. We further show that ECs from AMD eyes are significantly stiffer than their younger counterparts and exhibit peripheral actin organization that is distinct from the longitudinal stress fibers in young ECs. Finally, these differences in complement susceptibility and mechanostructural properties were found to be regulated by the differential activity of the small GTPases Rac and Rho, because Rac inhibition in AMD cells led to simultaneous reduction in stiffness and complement susceptibility while Rho inhibition in young cells exacerbated complement injury. Thus, by identifying cell stiffness and cytoskeletal regulators Rac and Rho as important determinants of complement susceptibility, the current findings offer a new mechanistic insight into choroidal vascular loss in early AMD that warrants further investigation for assessment of translational potential. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea P Cabrera
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Jonathan Stoddard
- Division of Neuroscience, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health and Sciences University, Beaverton, OR, USA
| | - Irene Santiago Tierno
- Department of Ophthalmology and Integrated Physiology Interdepartmental PhD Program, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.,Molecular, Cellular, and Integrated Physiology Interdepartmental PhD Program, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.,Doheny Eye Institute, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | | | - Mahesh Agarwal
- Department of Ophthalmology and Integrated Physiology Interdepartmental PhD Program, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.,Doheny Eye Institute, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - Lauren Renner
- Division of Neuroscience, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health and Sciences University, Beaverton, OR, USA
| | - Neha Palegar
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Martha Neuringer
- Division of Neuroscience, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health and Sciences University, Beaverton, OR, USA.,Casey Eye Institute, Oregon Health & Sciences University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Trevor McGill
- Division of Neuroscience, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health and Sciences University, Beaverton, OR, USA.,Casey Eye Institute, Oregon Health & Sciences University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Kaustabh Ghosh
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA.,Department of Ophthalmology and Integrated Physiology Interdepartmental PhD Program, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.,Molecular, Cellular, and Integrated Physiology Interdepartmental PhD Program, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.,Doheny Eye Institute, Pasadena, CA, USA
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24
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Swamy VS, Fufa TD, Hufnagel RB, McGaughey DM. Building the mega single-cell transcriptome ocular meta-atlas. Gigascience 2021; 10:giab061. [PMID: 34651173 PMCID: PMC8514335 DOI: 10.1093/gigascience/giab061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2021] [Revised: 07/27/2021] [Accepted: 08/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The development of highly scalable single-cell transcriptome technology has resulted in the creation of thousands of datasets, >30 in the retina alone. Analyzing the transcriptomes between different projects is highly desirable because this would allow for better assessment of which biological effects are consistent across independent studies. However it is difficult to compare and contrast data across different projects because there are substantial batch effects from computational processing, single-cell technology utilized, and the natural biological variation. While many single-cell transcriptome-specific batch correction methods purport to remove the technical noise, it is difficult to ascertain which method functions best. RESULTS We developed a lightweight R package (scPOP, single-cell Pick Optimal Parameters) that brings in batch integration methods and uses a simple heuristic to balance batch merging and cell type/cluster purity. We use this package along with a Snakefile-based workflow system to demonstrate how to optimally merge 766,615 cells from 33 retina datsets and 3 species to create a massive ocular single-cell transcriptome meta-atlas. CONCLUSIONS This provides a model for how to efficiently create meta-atlases for tissues and cells of interest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vinay S Swamy
- Bioinformatics Group, Ophthalmic Genetics & Visual Function Branch, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, 20892, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Temesgen D Fufa
- Medical Genetics and Ophthalmic Genomics Unit, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, 20892, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Robert B Hufnagel
- Medical Genetics and Ophthalmic Genomics Unit, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, 20892, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - David M McGaughey
- Bioinformatics Group, Ophthalmic Genetics & Visual Function Branch, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, 20892, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
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25
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Nag TC, Gorla S, Kumari C, Roy TS. Aging of the human choriocapillaris: Evidence that early pericyte damage can trigger endothelial changes. Exp Eye Res 2021; 212:108771. [PMID: 34624336 DOI: 10.1016/j.exer.2021.108771] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2021] [Revised: 08/15/2021] [Accepted: 09/17/2021] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
The choriocapillaris (CC), the capillary bed in the choroid, essentially nourishes the photoreceptor cells. Its damage in aging and age-related diseases significantly influences the survival of the photoreceptor cells. Earlier reports implicated endothelial loss in aged and diseased CC; however, age-related pericyte changes and their contribution in CC death remain unknown. We examined human donor eyes (age: 56-94 years; N = 24), and found that CC pericyte damage preceded endothelial changes. With aging (>70 years), the sub-macular choroid accumulated debris in Bruch's membrane (BM). Of the debris content, the long-spaced collagens had a tendency to settle over the capillary basal lamina (BL), and this often resulted in endothelial projection into capillary lumen. Between 75 and 83 years, pericytes contained dark mitochondria, and their processes facing the BM debris showed partial loss of BL and intermediate filaments (IFs), when the endothelium remained unaltered. The endothelial changes appeared beyond 83 years, the abundance of IFs and autophagy reinforced their survival until late aging. TUNEL+ pericytes, and immunoreactivity to carboxymethyl lysine and 4-hydroxy 2-nonenal, but no nitro-tyrosine, was detected in aged CC walls. Iba-1+ dystrophic microglia were present in the vicinity of the CC. Our data indicate that (1) BM debris exerts pressure on the CC, leading to the damage of the capillary BL and pericyte processes (2) loss of IFs results in early pericyte destabilization (3) capillary wall undergoes lipid peroxidative and glycative damage, and (4) pericyte damage leads to late endothelial changes and ultimately CC loss. Future research should explore the normal ways of pericyte maintenance in the aging nervous system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tapas Chandra Nag
- Department of Anatomy, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, 110029, India.
| | - Shilpa Gorla
- Department of Anatomy, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, 110029, India
| | - Chiman Kumari
- Department of Anatomy, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, 110029, India
| | - Tara Sankar Roy
- Department of Anatomy, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, 110029, India
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26
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Chae JB, Jang H, Son C, Park CW, Choi H, Jin S, Lee HY, Lee H, Ryu JH, Kim N, Kim C, Chung H. Targeting senescent retinal pigment epithelial cells facilitates retinal regeneration in mouse models of age-related macular degeneration. GeroScience 2021; 43:2809-2833. [PMID: 34601706 DOI: 10.1007/s11357-021-00457-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2021] [Accepted: 09/11/2021] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Although age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a multifactorial disorder with angiogenic, immune, and inflammatory components, the most common clinical treatment strategies are antiangiogenic therapies. However, these strategies are only applicable to neovascular AMD, which accounts for less than 20% of all AMD cases, and there are no FDA-approved drugs for the treatment of dry AMD, which accounts for ~ 80% of AMD cases. Here, we report that the elimination of senescent cells is a potential novel therapeutic approach for the treatment of all types of AMD. We identified senescent retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells in animal models of AMD and determined their contributions to retinal degeneration. We further confirmed that the clearance of senescent RPE cells with the MDM2-p53 inhibitor Nutlin-3a ameliorated retinal degeneration. These findings provide new insights into the use of senescent cells as a therapeutic target for the treatment of AMD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jae-Byoung Chae
- Department of Ophthalmology, Konkuk University School of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Hyoik Jang
- Department of Ophthalmology, Konkuk University School of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Chanok Son
- Department of Ophthalmology, Konkuk University School of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Chul-Woo Park
- Department of Ophthalmology, Konkuk University School of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Huyeon Choi
- Department of Chemistry, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology, Ulsan, South Korea
| | - Seongeon Jin
- Department of Chemistry, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology, Ulsan, South Korea
| | - Ho-Yeon Lee
- Genome Editing Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Daejeon, South Korea.,Department of Bioinformatics, KRIBB School of Bioscience, Korea University of Science and Technology (UST), Daejeon, South Korea
| | - Hyungwoo Lee
- Department of Ophthalmology, Konkuk University Medical Center, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Ja-Hyoung Ryu
- Department of Chemistry, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology, Ulsan, South Korea
| | - Namshin Kim
- Genome Editing Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Daejeon, South Korea.,Department of Bioinformatics, KRIBB School of Bioscience, Korea University of Science and Technology (UST), Daejeon, South Korea
| | - Chaekyu Kim
- Department of Chemistry, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology, Ulsan, South Korea.
| | - Hyewon Chung
- Department of Ophthalmology, Konkuk University School of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea. .,Department of Ophthalmology, Konkuk University Medical Center, Seoul, South Korea.
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27
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Brinks J, van Dijk EHC, Klaassen I, Schlingemann RO, Kielbasa SM, Emri E, Quax PHA, Bergen AA, Meijer OC, Boon CJF. Exploring the choroidal vascular labyrinth and its molecular and structural roles in health and disease. Prog Retin Eye Res 2021; 87:100994. [PMID: 34280556 DOI: 10.1016/j.preteyeres.2021.100994] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2021] [Revised: 07/04/2021] [Accepted: 07/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The choroid is a key player in maintaining ocular homeostasis and plays a role in a variety of chorioretinal diseases, many of which are poorly understood. Recent advances in the field of single-cell RNA sequencing have yielded valuable insights into the properties of choroidal endothelial cells (CECs). Here, we review the role of the choroid in various physiological and pathophysiological mechanisms, focusing on the role of CECs. We also discuss new insights regarding the phenotypic properties of CECs, CEC subpopulations, and the value of measuring transcriptomics in primary CEC cultures derived from post-mortem eyes. In addition, we discuss key phenotypic, structural, and functional differences that distinguish CECs from other endothelial cells such as retinal vascular endothelial cells. Understanding the specific clinical and molecular properties of the choroid will shed new light on the pathogenesis of the broad clinical range of chorioretinal diseases such as age-related macular degeneration, central serous chorioretinopathy and other diseases within the pachychoroid spectrum, uveitis, and diabetic choroidopathy. Although our knowledge is still relatively limited with respect to the clinical features and molecular pathways that underlie these chorioretinal diseases, we summarise new approaches and discuss future directions for gaining new insights into these sight-threatening diseases and highlight new therapeutic strategies such as pluripotent stem cell‒based technologies and gene therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Brinks
- Department of Ophthalmology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - E H C van Dijk
- Department of Ophthalmology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - I Klaassen
- Ocular Angiogenesis Group, Departments of Ophthalmology and Medical Biology, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - R O Schlingemann
- Ocular Angiogenesis Group, Departments of Ophthalmology and Medical Biology, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Department of Ophthalmology, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Department of Ophthalmology, University of Lausanne, Jules Gonin Eye Hospital, Fondation Asile des Aveugles, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - S M Kielbasa
- Department of Medical Statistics and Bioinformatics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - E Emri
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Section of Ophthalmogenetics, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - P H A Quax
- Department of Vascular Surgery, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands; Einthoven Laboratory for Experimental Vascular Medicine, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - A A Bergen
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Section of Ophthalmogenetics, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - O C Meijer
- Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - C J F Boon
- Department of Ophthalmology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands; Department of Ophthalmology, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
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28
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Abstract
It has been known for over a century that the basic organization of the retina is conserved across vertebrates. It has been equally clear that retinal cells can be classified into numerous types, but only recently have methods been devised to explore this diversity in unbiased, scalable, and comprehensive ways. Advances in high-throughput single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) have played a pivotal role in this effort. In this article, we outline the experimental and computational components of scRNA-seq and review studies that have used them to generate retinal atlases of cell types in several vertebrate species. These atlases have enabled studies of retinal development, responses of retinal cells to injury, expression patterns of genes implicated in retinal disease, and the evolution of cell types. Recently, the inquiry has expanded to include the entire eye and visual centers in the brain. These studies have enhanced our understanding of retinal function and dysfunction and provided tools and insights for exploring neural diversity throughout the brain. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Vision Science, Volume 7 is September 2021. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karthik Shekhar
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering; Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute; and California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, QB3, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, USA;
| | - Joshua R Sanes
- Center for Brain Science and Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA;
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29
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Reekie IR, Sharma S, Foers A, Sherlock J, Coles MC, Dick AD, Denniston AK, Buckley CD. The Cellular Composition of the Uveal Immune Environment. Front Med (Lausanne) 2021; 8:721953. [PMID: 34778287 PMCID: PMC8586083 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2021.721953] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2021] [Accepted: 10/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The uveal tract consists of the iris, the ciliary body and the choroid; these three distinct tissues form a continuous layer within the eye. Uveitis refers to inflammation of any region of the uveal tract. Despite being grouped together anatomically, the iris, ciliary body and choroid are distinct functionally, and inflammatory diseases may affect only one part and not the others. Cellular structure of tissues direct their function, and understanding the cellular basis of the immune environment of a tissue in health, the "steady state" on which the perturbations of disease are superimposed, is vital to understanding the pathogenesis of those diseases. A contemporary understanding of the immune system accepts that haematopoietic and yolk sac derived leukocytes, though vital, are not the only players of importance. An array of stromal cells, connective tissue cells such as fibroblasts and endothelial cells, may also have a role in the inflammatory reaction seen in several immune-mediated diseases. In this review we summarise what is known about the cellular composition of the uveal tract and the roles these disparate cell types have to play in immune homeostasis. We also discuss some unanswered questions surrounding the constituents of the resident leukocyte population of the different uveal tissues, and we look ahead to the new understanding that modern investigative techniques such as single cell transcriptomics, multi-omic data integration and highly-multiplexed imaging techniques may bring to the study of the uvea and uveitis, as they already have to other immune mediated inflammatory diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian R. Reekie
- The Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Srilakshmi Sharma
- The Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Oxford University Hospitals National Health Service (NHS) Foundation Trust, Oxford Eye Hospital, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew Foers
- The Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Jonathan Sherlock
- The Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Mark C. Coles
- The Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew D. Dick
- School of Clinical Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
- National Institute for Health Research Biomedical Research Centre, Institute of Ophthalmology, Moorfields Eye Hospital, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Alastair K. Denniston
- Institute for Inflammation and Ageing, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Christopher D. Buckley
- The Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Institute for Inflammation and Ageing, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
- *Correspondence: Christopher D. Buckley
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30
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Single-cell RNA sequencing in vision research: Insights into human retinal health and disease. Prog Retin Eye Res 2020; 83:100934. [PMID: 33383180 DOI: 10.1016/j.preteyeres.2020.100934] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2020] [Revised: 11/27/2020] [Accepted: 12/01/2020] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Gene expression provides valuable insight into cell function. As such, vision researchers have frequently employed gene expression studies to better understand retinal physiology and disease. With the advent of single-cell RNA sequencing, expression experiments provide an unparalleled resolution of information. Instead of studying aggregated gene expression across all cells in a heterogenous tissue, single-cell technology maps RNA to an individual cell, which facilitates grouping of retinal and choroidal cell types for further study. Single-cell RNA sequencing has been quickly adopted by both basic and translational vision researchers, and single-cell level gene expression has been studied in the visual systems of animal models, retinal organoids, and primary human retina, RPE, and choroid. These experiments have generated detailed atlases of gene expression and identified new retinal cell types. Likewise, single-cell RNA sequencing investigations have characterized how gene expression changes in the setting of many retinal diseases, including how choroidal endothelial cells are altered in age-related macular degeneration. In addition, this technology has allowed vision researchers to discover drivers of retinal development and model rare retinal diseases with induced pluripotent stem cells. In this review, we will overview the growing number of single-cell RNA sequencing studies in the field of vision research. We will summarize experimental considerations for designing single-cell RNA sequencing experiments and highlight important advancements in retinal, RPE, choroidal, and retinal organoid biology driven by this technology. Finally, we generalize these findings to genes involved in retinal degeneration and outline the future of single-cell expression experiments in studying retinal disease.
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