Pharmacological disruption of the outer limiting membrane leads to increased retinal integration of transplanted photoreceptor precursors.

Retinal degeneration is the leading cause of untreatable blindness in the developed world. Cell transplantation strategies provide a novel therapeutic approach to repair the retina and restore sight. Previously, we have shown that photoreceptor precursor cells can integrate and form functional photo...

詳細記述

書誌詳細
主要な著者: West, E, Pearson, R, Tschernutter, M, Sowden, J, Maclaren, R, Ali, R
フォーマット: Journal article
言語:English
出版事項: 2008
_version_ 1826257699371745280
author West, E
Pearson, R
Tschernutter, M
Sowden, J
Maclaren, R
Ali, R
author_facet West, E
Pearson, R
Tschernutter, M
Sowden, J
Maclaren, R
Ali, R
author_sort West, E
collection OXFORD
description Retinal degeneration is the leading cause of untreatable blindness in the developed world. Cell transplantation strategies provide a novel therapeutic approach to repair the retina and restore sight. Previously, we have shown that photoreceptor precursor cells can integrate and form functional photoreceptors after transplantation into the subretinal space of the adult mouse. In a clinical setting, however, it is likely that far greater numbers of integrated photoreceptors would be required to restore visual function. We therefore sought to assess whether the outer limiting membrane (OLM), a natural barrier between the subretinal space and the outer nuclear layer (ONL), could be reversibly disrupted and if disruption of this barrier could lead to enhanced numbers of transplanted photoreceptors integrating into the ONL. Transient chemical disruption of the OLM was induced in adult mice using the glial toxin, dl-alpha-aminoadipic acid (AAA). Dissociated early post-natal neural retinal cells were transplanted via subretinal injection at various time-points after AAA administration. At 3 weeks post-injection, the number of integrated, differentiated photoreceptor cells was assessed and compared with those found in the PBS-treated contralateral eye. We demonstrate for the first time that the OLM can be reversibly disrupted in adult mice, using a specific dose of AAA administered by intravitreal injection. In this model, OLM disruption is maximal at 72 h, and recovers by 2 weeks. When combined with cell transplantation, disruption of the OLM leads to a significant increase in the number of photoreceptors integrated within the ONL compared with PBS-treated controls. This effect was only seen in animals in which AAA had been administered 72 h prior to transplantation, i.e. when precursor cells were delivered into the subretinal space at a time coincident with maximal OLM disruption. These findings suggest that the OLM presents a physical barrier to photoreceptor integration following transplantation into the subretinal space in the adult mouse. Reversible disruption of the OLM may provide a strategy for increasing cell integration in future therapeutic applications.
first_indexed 2024-03-06T18:22:17Z
format Journal article
id oxford-uuid:06b68c97-9c37-4cbe-a1c5-d6471d775cb7
institution University of Oxford
language English
last_indexed 2024-03-06T18:22:17Z
publishDate 2008
record_format dspace
spelling oxford-uuid:06b68c97-9c37-4cbe-a1c5-d6471d775cb72022-03-26T09:03:57ZPharmacological disruption of the outer limiting membrane leads to increased retinal integration of transplanted photoreceptor precursors.Journal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:06b68c97-9c37-4cbe-a1c5-d6471d775cb7EnglishSymplectic Elements at Oxford2008West, EPearson, RTschernutter, MSowden, JMaclaren, RAli, RRetinal degeneration is the leading cause of untreatable blindness in the developed world. Cell transplantation strategies provide a novel therapeutic approach to repair the retina and restore sight. Previously, we have shown that photoreceptor precursor cells can integrate and form functional photoreceptors after transplantation into the subretinal space of the adult mouse. In a clinical setting, however, it is likely that far greater numbers of integrated photoreceptors would be required to restore visual function. We therefore sought to assess whether the outer limiting membrane (OLM), a natural barrier between the subretinal space and the outer nuclear layer (ONL), could be reversibly disrupted and if disruption of this barrier could lead to enhanced numbers of transplanted photoreceptors integrating into the ONL. Transient chemical disruption of the OLM was induced in adult mice using the glial toxin, dl-alpha-aminoadipic acid (AAA). Dissociated early post-natal neural retinal cells were transplanted via subretinal injection at various time-points after AAA administration. At 3 weeks post-injection, the number of integrated, differentiated photoreceptor cells was assessed and compared with those found in the PBS-treated contralateral eye. We demonstrate for the first time that the OLM can be reversibly disrupted in adult mice, using a specific dose of AAA administered by intravitreal injection. In this model, OLM disruption is maximal at 72 h, and recovers by 2 weeks. When combined with cell transplantation, disruption of the OLM leads to a significant increase in the number of photoreceptors integrated within the ONL compared with PBS-treated controls. This effect was only seen in animals in which AAA had been administered 72 h prior to transplantation, i.e. when precursor cells were delivered into the subretinal space at a time coincident with maximal OLM disruption. These findings suggest that the OLM presents a physical barrier to photoreceptor integration following transplantation into the subretinal space in the adult mouse. Reversible disruption of the OLM may provide a strategy for increasing cell integration in future therapeutic applications.
spellingShingle West, E
Pearson, R
Tschernutter, M
Sowden, J
Maclaren, R
Ali, R
Pharmacological disruption of the outer limiting membrane leads to increased retinal integration of transplanted photoreceptor precursors.
title Pharmacological disruption of the outer limiting membrane leads to increased retinal integration of transplanted photoreceptor precursors.
title_full Pharmacological disruption of the outer limiting membrane leads to increased retinal integration of transplanted photoreceptor precursors.
title_fullStr Pharmacological disruption of the outer limiting membrane leads to increased retinal integration of transplanted photoreceptor precursors.
title_full_unstemmed Pharmacological disruption of the outer limiting membrane leads to increased retinal integration of transplanted photoreceptor precursors.
title_short Pharmacological disruption of the outer limiting membrane leads to increased retinal integration of transplanted photoreceptor precursors.
title_sort pharmacological disruption of the outer limiting membrane leads to increased retinal integration of transplanted photoreceptor precursors
work_keys_str_mv AT weste pharmacologicaldisruptionoftheouterlimitingmembraneleadstoincreasedretinalintegrationoftransplantedphotoreceptorprecursors
AT pearsonr pharmacologicaldisruptionoftheouterlimitingmembraneleadstoincreasedretinalintegrationoftransplantedphotoreceptorprecursors
AT tschernutterm pharmacologicaldisruptionoftheouterlimitingmembraneleadstoincreasedretinalintegrationoftransplantedphotoreceptorprecursors
AT sowdenj pharmacologicaldisruptionoftheouterlimitingmembraneleadstoincreasedretinalintegrationoftransplantedphotoreceptorprecursors
AT maclarenr pharmacologicaldisruptionoftheouterlimitingmembraneleadstoincreasedretinalintegrationoftransplantedphotoreceptorprecursors
AT alir pharmacologicaldisruptionoftheouterlimitingmembraneleadstoincreasedretinalintegrationoftransplantedphotoreceptorprecursors