Organoid-derived photoreceptor precursors enriched by CD9⁻CD81^mid sorting restore visual function in RCS rats.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Retinal degenerative diseases (RDD) cause irreversible vision loss due to photoreceptor (PR) loss. Stem cell-derived PR precursors hold promise for retinal repair, but genetic labeling limits clinical translation. Surface marker-based sorting offers a safer alternative.

Methods

We analyzed single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) datasets of human retinal organoids to identify PR-specific surface markers and validated them by immunofluorescence and flow cytometry. Cells with a CD9⁻CD81^mid (negative for CD9 and intermediate levels of CD81) phenotype were isolated via fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) and transplanted into the subretinal space of RCS rats. Post-transplantation survival, integration, differentiation, and therapeutic efficacy were as

SUBMITTER: Wang C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12798122 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature