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Hashem SA, Georgiou M, Fujinami-Yokokawa Y, Laich Y, Daich Varela M, de Guimaraes TAC, Ali N, Mahroo OA, Webster AR, Fujinami K, Michaelides M. Genetics, Clinical Characteristics, and Natural History of PDE6B-Associated Retinal Dystrophy. Am J Ophthalmol 2024; 263:1-10. [PMID: 38364953 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajo.2024.02.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2023] [Revised: 02/02/2024] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 02/18/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE To analyze the clinical characteristics, natural history, and genetics of PDE6B-associated retinal dystrophy. DESIGN Retrospective, observational cohort study. METHODS Review of medical records and retinal imaging, including fundus autofluorescence (FAF) imaging and spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) of patients with molecularly confirmed PDE6B-associated retinal dystrophy in a single tertiary referral center. Genetic results were reviewed, and the detected variants were assessed. RESULTS Forty patients (80 eyes) were identified and evaluated longitudinally. The mean age (±SD, range) was 42.1 years (± 19.0, 10-86) at baseline, with a mean follow-up time of 5.2 years. Twenty-nine (72.5%) and 27 (67.5%) patients had no or mild visual acuity impairment at baseline and last visit, respectively. Best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was 0.56 ± 0.72 LogMAR (range -0.12 to 2.80) at baseline and 0.63 ± 0.73 LogMAR (range 0.0-2.80) at the last visit. BCVA was symmetrical in 87.5% of patients. A hyperautofluorescent ring was observed on FAF in 48 and 46 eyes at baseline and follow-up visit, respectively, with a mean area of 7.11 ± 4.13 mm2 at baseline and mean of 6.13 ± 3.62 mm2 at the follow-up visit. Mean horizontal ellipsoid zone width at baseline was 1946.1 ± 917.2 µm, which decreased to 1763.9 ± 827.9 µm at follow-up. Forty-four eyes had cystoid macular edema at baseline (55%), and 41 eyes (51.3%) at follow-up. There were statistically significant changes during the follow-up period in terms of BCVA and the ellipsoid zone width. Genetic analysis identified 43 variants in the PDE6B gene, including 16 novel variants. CONCLUSIONS This study details the natural history of PDE6B-retinopathy in the largest cohort to date. Most patients had mild to no BCVA loss, with slowly progressive disease, based on FAF and OCT metrics. There is a high degree of disease symmetry and a wide window for intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaima Awadh Hashem
- From the Moorfields Eye Hospital (S.A.H., M.G., Y.L., M.D.V., T.A.C.d.G., N.A., O.A.M., A.R.W., K.F., M.M.), London, United Kingdom; UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London (S.A.H., M.G., Y.F.Y., Y.L., M.D.V., T.A.C.d.G., O.A.M., A.R.W., K.F., M.M.), London, United Kingdom
| | - Michalis Georgiou
- From the Moorfields Eye Hospital (S.A.H., M.G., Y.L., M.D.V., T.A.C.d.G., N.A., O.A.M., A.R.W., K.F., M.M.), London, United Kingdom; UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London (S.A.H., M.G., Y.F.Y., Y.L., M.D.V., T.A.C.d.G., O.A.M., A.R.W., K.F., M.M.), London, United Kingdom; Jones Eye Institute, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (M.G.), Little Rock, Arkansas, USA
| | - Yu Fujinami-Yokokawa
- UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London (S.A.H., M.G., Y.F.Y., Y.L., M.D.V., T.A.C.d.G., O.A.M., A.R.W., K.F., M.M.), London, United Kingdom; Laboratory of Visual Physiology, Division of Vision Research (Y.F.Y.), National Institute of Sensory Organs, NHONHO Tokyo Medical Center, Tokyo, Japan; Department of Health Policy and Management (Y.F.Y.), Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yannik Laich
- From the Moorfields Eye Hospital (S.A.H., M.G., Y.L., M.D.V., T.A.C.d.G., N.A., O.A.M., A.R.W., K.F., M.M.), London, United Kingdom; UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London (S.A.H., M.G., Y.F.Y., Y.L., M.D.V., T.A.C.d.G., O.A.M., A.R.W., K.F., M.M.), London, United Kingdom; Eye Center, Faculty of Medicine, University Freiburg (Y.L.), Germany
| | - Malena Daich Varela
- From the Moorfields Eye Hospital (S.A.H., M.G., Y.L., M.D.V., T.A.C.d.G., N.A., O.A.M., A.R.W., K.F., M.M.), London, United Kingdom; UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London (S.A.H., M.G., Y.F.Y., Y.L., M.D.V., T.A.C.d.G., O.A.M., A.R.W., K.F., M.M.), London, United Kingdom
| | - Thales A C de Guimaraes
- From the Moorfields Eye Hospital (S.A.H., M.G., Y.L., M.D.V., T.A.C.d.G., N.A., O.A.M., A.R.W., K.F., M.M.), London, United Kingdom; UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London (S.A.H., M.G., Y.F.Y., Y.L., M.D.V., T.A.C.d.G., O.A.M., A.R.W., K.F., M.M.), London, United Kingdom
| | - Naser Ali
- From the Moorfields Eye Hospital (S.A.H., M.G., Y.L., M.D.V., T.A.C.d.G., N.A., O.A.M., A.R.W., K.F., M.M.), London, United Kingdom
| | - Omar A Mahroo
- From the Moorfields Eye Hospital (S.A.H., M.G., Y.L., M.D.V., T.A.C.d.G., N.A., O.A.M., A.R.W., K.F., M.M.), London, United Kingdom; UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London (S.A.H., M.G., Y.F.Y., Y.L., M.D.V., T.A.C.d.G., O.A.M., A.R.W., K.F., M.M.), London, United Kingdom; Section of Ophthalmology, King's College London, St Thomas' Hospital Campus (O.A.M.), London, United Kingdom; Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge (O.A.M.), Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew R Webster
- From the Moorfields Eye Hospital (S.A.H., M.G., Y.L., M.D.V., T.A.C.d.G., N.A., O.A.M., A.R.W., K.F., M.M.), London, United Kingdom; UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London (S.A.H., M.G., Y.F.Y., Y.L., M.D.V., T.A.C.d.G., O.A.M., A.R.W., K.F., M.M.), London, United Kingdom
| | - Kaoru Fujinami
- From the Moorfields Eye Hospital (S.A.H., M.G., Y.L., M.D.V., T.A.C.d.G., N.A., O.A.M., A.R.W., K.F., M.M.), London, United Kingdom; UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London (S.A.H., M.G., Y.F.Y., Y.L., M.D.V., T.A.C.d.G., O.A.M., A.R.W., K.F., M.M.), London, United Kingdom; Laboratory of Visual Physiology, Division of Vision Research (Y.F.Y.), National Institute of Sensory Organs, NHONHO Tokyo Medical Center, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Michel Michaelides
- From the Moorfields Eye Hospital (S.A.H., M.G., Y.L., M.D.V., T.A.C.d.G., N.A., O.A.M., A.R.W., K.F., M.M.), London, United Kingdom; UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London (S.A.H., M.G., Y.F.Y., Y.L., M.D.V., T.A.C.d.G., O.A.M., A.R.W., K.F., M.M.), London, United Kingdom.
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Vagni P, Perlini LE, Chenais NAL, Marchetti T, Parrini M, Contestabile A, Cancedda L, Ghezzi D. Gene Editing Preserves Visual Functions in a Mouse Model of Retinal Degeneration. Front Neurosci 2019; 13:945. [PMID: 31551698 PMCID: PMC6748340 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2019.00945] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2019] [Accepted: 08/21/2019] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Inherited retinal dystrophies (IRDs) are a large and heterogeneous group of degenerative diseases caused by mutations in various genes. Given the favorable anatomical and immunological characteristics of the eye, gene therapy holds great potential for their treatment. Our goal is to validate the preservation of visual functions by viral-free homology directed repair (HDR) in an autosomal recessive loss of function mutation. We used a tailored gene editing system based on clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated protein 9 (Cas9) to prevent retinal photoreceptor death in the retinal degeneration 10 (Rd10) mouse model of retinitis pigmentosa. We tested the gene editing tool in vitro and then used in vivo subretinal electroporation to deliver it to one of the retinas of mouse pups at different stages of photoreceptor differentiation. Three months after gene editing, the treated eye exhibited a higher visual acuity compared to the untreated eye. Moreover, we observed preservation of light-evoked responses both in explanted retinas and in the visual cortex of treated animals. Our study validates a CRISPR/Cas9-based therapy as a valuable new approach for the treatment of retinitis pigmentosa caused by autosomal recessive loss-of-function point mutations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paola Vagni
- Medtronic Chair in Neuroengineering, Center for Neuroprosthetics and Institute of Bioengineering, School of Engineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Laura E Perlini
- Laboratory of Local Micro-environment and Brain Development, Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genoa, Italy
| | - Naïg A L Chenais
- Medtronic Chair in Neuroengineering, Center for Neuroprosthetics and Institute of Bioengineering, School of Engineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Tommaso Marchetti
- Medtronic Chair in Neuroengineering, Center for Neuroprosthetics and Institute of Bioengineering, School of Engineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Martina Parrini
- Laboratory of Local Micro-environment and Brain Development, Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genoa, Italy
| | - Andrea Contestabile
- Laboratory of Local Micro-environment and Brain Development, Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genoa, Italy
| | - Laura Cancedda
- Laboratory of Local Micro-environment and Brain Development, Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genoa, Italy.,Dulbecco Telethon Institute, Roma, Italy
| | - Diego Ghezzi
- Laboratory of Local Micro-environment and Brain Development, Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genoa, Italy
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Tao Y, Zhu Q, Wang L, Zha X, Teng D, Xu L. Adeno-associated virus (AAV)-mediated neuroprotective effects on the degenerative retina: the therapeutic potential of erythropoietin. Fundam Clin Pharmacol 2019; 34:131-147. [PMID: 31243792 DOI: 10.1111/fcp.12494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2019] [Revised: 06/01/2019] [Accepted: 06/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Retinal degeneration (RD) results in photoreceptor loss and irreversible visual impairments. This study sought to alleviate the photoreceptor degeneration via the adeno-associated virus (AAV)-mediated erythropoietin (EPO) therapy. AAV-2/2-mCMV-EPO vectors were constructed and delivered into the subretinal space of a RD model. The retinal morphology, optokinetic behaviour and electrophysiological function of the treated animals were analysed. The subretinal delivery of AAV-2/2 vectors induced robust EPO gene expressions in the retinas. AAV2/2-mediated EPO therapy ameliorated the photoreceptor degeneration and visual impairments of the RD animal model. Furthermore, the multi-electrodes array (MEA) was used to detect the firing activities of retinal ganglion cells. MEA recording showed that the EPO therapy could restrain the spontaneous firing response, enhance the light-induced firing response and preserve the basic configurations of visual signal pathway in RD model. Our MEA assay provided an example to evaluate the potency of pharmacological compounds on retinal plasticity. In conclusion, AAV2/2-mediated EPO therapy can ameliorate the photoreceptor degeneration and rectify the abnormities in visual signal transmission. These beneficial results suggest the AAV vector is a viable therapeutic option for retinopathies with rapidly degenerating kinetics and lay the groundwork for future development of EPO gene therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ye Tao
- Department of Ultrasound, China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, 130031, China.,Department of Ophthalmology, Key Lab of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, 100853, China
| | - Qi Zhu
- Department of Ophthalmology, The Second Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, 130041, China
| | - Liqiang Wang
- Department of Ophthalmology, Key Lab of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, 100853, China
| | - Xiaobing Zha
- Department of Rehabilitation, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Dengke Teng
- Department of Ultrasound, China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, 130031, China
| | - Lei Xu
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, 130033, China
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Dai X, He Y, Zhang H, Zhang Y, Liu Y, Wang M, Chen H, Pang JJ. Long-term retinal cone rescue using a capsid mutant AAV8 vector in a mouse model of CNGA3-achromatopsia. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0188032. [PMID: 29131863 PMCID: PMC5683625 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0188032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2017] [Accepted: 10/29/2017] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors are important gene delivery tools for the treatment of many recessively inherited retinal diseases. For example, a wild-type (WT) AAV5 vector can deliver a full-length Cnga3 (cyclic nucleotide-gated channel alpha-3) cDNA to target cells of the cone photoreceptor function loss 5 (cpfl5) mouse, a spontaneous animal model of achromatopsia with a Cnga3 mutation. Gene therapy restores cone-mediated function and blocks cone degeneration in the mice. However, since transgene expression delivered by an AAV vector shows relatively short-term effectiveness, this cannot be regarded as a very successful therapy. AAV2 and AAV8 vectors with capsid mutations have significantly enhanced transduction efficiency in retinas compared to WT AAV controls. In this study, AAV8 (Y447, 733F+T494V)-treated cpfl5 retinas showed greater preservation of short-term cone electroretinogram (ERG) responses than AAV8 (Y447, 733F)- or AAV2 (Y272, 444, 500, 730F+T491V)-mediated treatments. To explore the long-term rescue effect, AAV8 (Y447, 733F+T494V)-treated cpfl5 retinas were evaluated at 9 months following postnatal day 14 (P14) treatment. Rescued ERG responses in the cones of treated cpfl5 eyes decreased with increasing age, but still maintained more than 60% of the WT mouse responses at the oldest time point examined. Expression of CNGA3 and M/S-opsins was maintained in cone outer segments of the treated cpfl5 eyes and was equal to expression in age-matched WT retinas. Near-normal cone-mediated water maze behavior was observed in the treated cpfl5 mice. As these are the longest follow-up data reported thus far, AAV8 with capsid Y-F and T-V mutations may be one of the most effective AAV vectors for long-term treatment in a naturally occurring mouse model of CNGA3 achromatopsia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xufeng Dai
- School of Ophthalmology and Optometry, The Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, P.R. China
| | - Ying He
- School of Ophthalmology and Optometry, The Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, P.R. China
| | - Hua Zhang
- School of Ophthalmology and Optometry, The Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, P.R. China
| | - Yangyang Zhang
- School of Ophthalmology and Optometry, The Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, P.R. China
| | - Yan Liu
- School of Ophthalmology and Optometry, The Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, P.R. China
| | - Muran Wang
- School of Ophthalmology and Optometry, The Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, P.R. China
| | - Hao Chen
- School of Ophthalmology and Optometry, The Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, P.R. China
- * E-mail: (HC); (JP)
| | - Ji-jing Pang
- School of Ophthalmology and Optometry, The Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, P.R. China
- * E-mail: (HC); (JP)
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