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Global Epigenomic and Transcriptomic changes associated with Human Retinal Pigment Epithelial Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition in a Stem Cell-based model of Epiretinal Membrane Formation (RNA-seq)

ABSTRACT: Epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a biological process involved in tissue morphogenesis and disease that causes dramatic changes in cell morphology, migration, proliferation, and gene expression. The retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), which supports the neural retina, can undergo EMT, producing fibrous epiretinal membranes (ERMs) associated with vision-impairing clinical conditions such as macular pucker and proliferative vitreoretinopathy. We found that co-treatment with TGFβ1 and TNFα (TNT) accelerates EMT in adult human RPE stem cell (RPESC)-derived RPE cell cultures. We captured the global epigenomic and transcriptional changes elicited by TNT treatment of RPE and identified putative active enhancers associated with actively transcribed genes, including a set of upregulated transcription factors that are candidate regulators. We found that the vitamin B derivative nicotinamide downregulates these factors, inhibits key transcriptional changes and prevents and partially reverses RPE EMT, revealing potential therapeutic routes to benefit patients with ERM, macular pucker and PVR.

ORGANISM(S): Homo sapiens

PROVIDER: GSE128143 | GEO | 2020/04/22

REPOSITORIES: GEO

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Project description:Background: Different sources of retinal pigment epithelial cells (RPE) were transplanted to treat Age-related Macular Degeneration. But the mechanisms of therapeutic effect are unclear till now, and GMP level fetal RPE (fRPE) need further evaluation for treatment. Methods: Modified GMP fRPE primary culture system was founded. These RPE were tested on Mer-/- mice and sodium iodate induced retinopathy primate model for safety and feasibility. Five dry-AMD patients and one Stargardt’s Disease patient were enrolled, and received sub retinal transplantation of hfRPE with three dosage cohorts(1×105，2×105，5×105). ETDRS, optic coherent tomographic imaging (OCT), color fundus (CF), fluorescent angiography (FFA), autofluorescence, microperimetry examination were conducted before surgery, and during follow-up period. The studies are registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, numbers NCT02868424. Findings: GMP level fRPE from modified primary culture system has good proliferative capacity and full functions of RPE in vitro. Human fetal RPE can survive long period in sub-retinal space in mice and monkey models of RPE degeneration, and showed therapeutic effect on Mer-/- mice. During our nine-months follow-up of six clinical cases, no endophthalmitis, no vitreous hemorrhage, no proliferative vitreoretinopathy was observed, and epiretinal memrbrane was the only complication. Among the patients, four of them achieved increase in ETDRS visual acuity (VA), of which the greatest improvement was 18 letters, and one kept steady while the other had 9 letters decreased VA. Color fundus photos and OCT demonstrated the existence of the fRPE cells, and improved retinal sensitivity as well as the changes observed in auto fluorescence also can tell the situation of grafted cells to some extent. Interpretation: GMP level fRPE from modified culture system exhibited satisfactory results on in vitro and preclinical experiments. Preliminary clinical trial proved safety of the fRPE subretinal transplantation, and substantiated it a promising therapy for dry AMD including the converted from exudative AMD.

Project description:The therapeutic potential of pluripotent stem cells is great as they promise to Q7 usher in a new era of medicine where cells or organs may be prescribed to replace dysfunctional tissue. At the forefront are efforts in the eye to develop Q8 this technology as it lends itself to in vivo monitoring and sophisticated imaging modalities. In the retina, retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) is the most promising replacement cell as it has a single layer, is relatively simple to transplant, and is associated with dozens of eye diseases. However, after transplantation, they may transform and cause complications. This transformation may be partially due to incomplete maturation. With the goal of learning how to mature RPE, we compared iPSC-RPE with adult primary RPE and the immortalized ARPE-19 line. We cultured ARPE-19, iPSC-RPE, and adult human RPE for one month, evaluating morphology, RPE marker staining, and transepithelial electrical resistance as quality control indicators. We then isolated RNA for bulk RNAsequencing and DNA for genotyping. We genotyped adult RPE lines for the top age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR) risk allele polymorphisms. Transcriptome data verified that both adult and iPSC-RPE exhibit similar RPE gene expression signatures, significantly more than ARPE-19. In addition, in iPSC-RPE, gene networks relating to epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT), stem cell maintenance, retina development, and muscle contraction were significantly elevated compared to those of adult RPE. We compared adult human RPE to iPSC-RPE in a model of EMT and observed an increased sensitivity of iPSC-RPE to producing contractile aggregates in vitro which resembles incident reports upon transplantation. P38 inhibition was capable of inhibiting iPSC-RPE–derived aggregates. In summary, we find that the transcriptomic signature of iPSC-RPE conveys an immature RPE state which may be ameliorated by targeting “immature” gene regulatory networks.

Dataset Information

Global Epigenomic and Transcriptomic changes associated with Human Retinal Pigment Epithelial Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition in a Stem Cell-based model of Epiretinal Membrane Formation (RNA-seq)

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