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Wu V, Swider M, Sumaroka A, Dufour VL, Vance JE, Aleman TS, Aguirre GD, Beltran WA, Cideciyan AV. Retinal response to light exposure in BEST1-mutant dogs evaluated with ultra-high resolution OCT. Vision Res 2024; 218:108379. [PMID: 38460402 PMCID: PMC11009038 DOI: 10.1016/j.visres.2024.108379] [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: 11/08/2023] [Revised: 03/04/2024] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 03/11/2024]
Abstract
Mutations in BEST1 cause an autosomal recessive disease in dogs where the earliest changes localize to the photoreceptor-RPE interface and show a retina-wide micro-detachment that is modulated by light exposure. The purpose of this study was to define the spatial and temporal details of the outer retina and its response to light with ultra-high resolution OCT across a range of ages and with different BEST1 mutations. Three retinal regions were selected in each eye: near the fovea-like area, near the optic nerve, both in the tapetal area, and inferior to the optic nerve in the non-tapetal area. The OS+ slab thickness was defined between the peak near the junction of inner and outer segments (IS/OS) and the transition between basal RPE, Bruch membrane, choriocapillaris and proximal tapetum (RPE/T). In wildtype (WT) dogs, two tapetal regions showed additional hyperscattering OCT peaks within the OS+ slab likely representing cone and rod outer segment tips (COST and ROST). The inferior non-tapetal region of WT dogs had only one of these peaks, likely ROST. In dogs with BEST1 mutations, all three locations showed a single peak, likely suggesting optical silence of COST. Light-dependent expansion of the micro-detachment by about 10 um was detectable in both tapetal and non-tapetal retina across all ages and BEST1 mutations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vivian Wu
- Center for Hereditary Retinal Degenerations, Scheie Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Malgorzata Swider
- Center for Hereditary Retinal Degenerations, Scheie Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Alexander Sumaroka
- Center for Hereditary Retinal Degenerations, Scheie Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Valerie L Dufour
- Division of Experimental Retinal Therapies, Department of Clinical Sciences & Advanced Medicine, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | | | - Tomas S Aleman
- Center for Hereditary Retinal Degenerations, Scheie Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Gustavo D Aguirre
- Division of Experimental Retinal Therapies, Department of Clinical Sciences & Advanced Medicine, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - William A Beltran
- Division of Experimental Retinal Therapies, Department of Clinical Sciences & Advanced Medicine, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Artur V Cideciyan
- Center for Hereditary Retinal Degenerations, Scheie Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States.
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Monson E, Cideciyan AV, Roman AJ, Sumaroka A, Swider M, Wu V, Viarbitskaya I, Jacobson SG, Fliesler SJ, Pittler SJ. Inherited Retinal Degeneration Caused by Dehydrodolichyl Diphosphate Synthase Mutation-Effect of an ALG6 Modifier Variant. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:1004. [PMID: 38256083 PMCID: PMC10816542 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25021004] [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: 12/11/2023] [Revised: 01/04/2024] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Modern advances in disease genetics have uncovered numerous modifier genes that play a role in the severity of disease expression. One such class of genetic conditions is known as inherited retinal degenerations (IRDs), a collection of retinal degenerative disorders caused by mutations in over 300 genes. A single missense mutation (K42E) in the gene encoding the enzyme dehydrodolichyl diphosphate synthase (DHDDS), which is required for protein N-glycosylation in all cells and tissues, causes DHDDS-IRD (retinitis pigmentosa type 59 (RP59; OMIM #613861)). Apart from a retinal phenotype, however, DHDDS-IRD is surprisingly non-syndromic (i.e., without any systemic manifestations). To explore disease pathology, we selected five glycosylation-related genes for analysis that are suggested to have disease modifier variants. These genes encode glycosyltransferases (ALG6, ALG8), an ER resident protein (DDOST), a high-mannose oligosaccharyl transferase (MPDU1), and a protein N-glycosylation regulatory protein (TNKS). DNA samples from 11 confirmed DHDDS (K42E)-IRD patients were sequenced at the site of each candidate genetic modifier. Quantitative measures of retinal structure and function were performed across five decades of life by evaluating foveal photoreceptor thickness, visual acuity, foveal sensitivity, macular and extramacular rod sensitivity, and kinetic visual field extent. The ALG6 variant, (F304S), was correlated with greater macular cone disease severity and less peripheral rod disease severity. Thus, modifier gene polymorphisms may account for a significant portion of phenotypic variation observed in human genetic disease. However, the consequences of the polymorphisms may be counterintuitively complex in terms of rod and cone populations affected in different regions of the retina.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisha Monson
- Department of Optometry and Vision Science, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA;
| | - Artur V. Cideciyan
- Center for Hereditary Retinal Degenerations, Scheie Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; (A.J.R.); (A.S.); (M.S.); (V.W.); (I.V.)
| | - Alejandro J. Roman
- Center for Hereditary Retinal Degenerations, Scheie Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; (A.J.R.); (A.S.); (M.S.); (V.W.); (I.V.)
| | - Alexander Sumaroka
- Center for Hereditary Retinal Degenerations, Scheie Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; (A.J.R.); (A.S.); (M.S.); (V.W.); (I.V.)
| | - Malgorzata Swider
- Center for Hereditary Retinal Degenerations, Scheie Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; (A.J.R.); (A.S.); (M.S.); (V.W.); (I.V.)
| | - Vivian Wu
- Center for Hereditary Retinal Degenerations, Scheie Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; (A.J.R.); (A.S.); (M.S.); (V.W.); (I.V.)
| | - Iryna Viarbitskaya
- Center for Hereditary Retinal Degenerations, Scheie Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; (A.J.R.); (A.S.); (M.S.); (V.W.); (I.V.)
| | - Samuel G. Jacobson
- Center for Hereditary Retinal Degenerations, Scheie Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; (A.J.R.); (A.S.); (M.S.); (V.W.); (I.V.)
| | - Steven J. Fliesler
- Departments of Ophthalmology and Biochemistry, and Neuroscience Graduate Program, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, State University of New York—University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14203, USA;
- Research Service, VA Western NY Healthcare System, Buffalo, NY 14215, USA
| | - Steven J. Pittler
- Department of Optometry and Vision Science, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA;
- Vision Science Research Center, School of Optometry, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
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Baehr W, Tsang SH. Gene therapy and therapeutic editing with outer or inner retina animal models. Vision Res 2023; 213:108316. [PMID: 37717278 PMCID: PMC10872789 DOI: 10.1016/j.visres.2023.108316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2023] [Accepted: 09/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/19/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Wolfgang Baehr
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Utah Health Science Center, Salt Lake City, UT 84132, USA.
| | - Stephen H Tsang
- Departments of Ophthalmology, Pathology & Cell Biology, Columbia Stem Cell Initative, New York, NY 10032, USA.
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Li RTH, Roman AJ, Sumaroka A, Stanton CM, Swider M, Garafalo AV, Heon E, Vincent A, Wright AF, Megaw R, Aleman TS, Browning AC, Dhillon B, Cideciyan AV. Treatment Strategy With Gene Editing for Late-Onset Retinal Degeneration Caused by a Founder Variant in C1QTNF5. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2023; 64:33. [PMID: 38133503 PMCID: PMC10746929 DOI: 10.1167/iovs.64.15.33] [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: 10/02/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Purpose Genome editing is an emerging group of technologies with the potential to ameliorate dominant, monogenic human diseases such as late-onset retinal degeneration (L-ORD). The goal of this study was to identify disease stages and retinal locations optimal for evaluating the efficacy of a future genome editing trial. Methods Twenty five L-ORD patients (age range, 33-77 years; median age, 59 years) harboring the founder variant S163R in C1QTNF5 were enrolled from three centers in the United Kingdom and United States. Patients were examined with widefield optical coherence tomography (OCT) and chromatic perimetry under dark-adapted and light-adapted conditions to derive phenomaps of retinal disease. Results were analyzed with a model of a shared natural history of a single delayed exponential across all subjects and all retinal locations. Results Critical age for the initiation of photoreceptor loss ranged from 48 years at the temporal paramacular retina to 74 years at the inferior midperipheral retina. Subretinal deposits (sRET-Ds) became more prevalent as critical age was approached. Subretinal pigment epithelial deposits (sRPE-Ds) were detectable in the youngest patients showing no other structural or functional abnormalities at the retina. The sRPE-D thickness continuously increased, reaching 25 µm in the extrafoveal retina and 19 µm in the fovea at critical age. Loss of light sensitivity preceded shortening of outer segments and loss of photoreceptors by more than a decade. Conclusions Retinal regions providing an ideal treatment window exist across all severity stages of L-ORD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Randa T. H. Li
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, School of Clinical Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom
- Princess Alexandra Eye Pavilion, NHS Lothian, Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom
| | - Alejandro J. Roman
- Center for Hereditary Retinal Degenerations, Scheie Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
| | - Alexander Sumaroka
- Center for Hereditary Retinal Degenerations, Scheie Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
| | - Chloe M. Stanton
- Medical Research Council Human Genetics Unit, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Malgorzata Swider
- Center for Hereditary Retinal Degenerations, Scheie Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
| | - Alexandra V. Garafalo
- Center for Hereditary Retinal Degenerations, Scheie Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
| | - Elise Heon
- Department of Ophthalmology and Vision Sciences, The Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Ajoy Vincent
- Department of Ophthalmology and Vision Sciences, The Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Alan F. Wright
- Medical Research Council Human Genetics Unit, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Roly Megaw
- Princess Alexandra Eye Pavilion, NHS Lothian, Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom
- Medical Research Council Human Genetics Unit, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Tomas S. Aleman
- Center for Hereditary Retinal Degenerations, Scheie Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
| | - Andrew C. Browning
- Newcastle Eye Centre, Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle Upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - Baljean Dhillon
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, School of Clinical Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom
- Princess Alexandra Eye Pavilion, NHS Lothian, Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom
| | - Artur V. Cideciyan
- Center for Hereditary Retinal Degenerations, Scheie Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
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