Genotyping single point mutations in rd1 and rd8 mice using melting curve analysis of qPCR fragments.

PCR is tolerant to single nucleotide mismatches. Therefore, genotyping of point mutations by PCR requires special conditions for the amplification of allele-specific PCR fragments. MS-PCR (mutagenically separated PCR) is an improved version of ARMS (amplification refractory mutation system) in which additional nucleotide mismatches near the mutation site are used to separate the wt fragments from the mutant fragments in a single-tube PCR. In the originally described procedure, the resulting fragments are resolved on agarose gels according to differences in size introduced by different lengths of the allele-specific primers. In order to evaluate the PCR fragments by melting curve analysis, we enlarged the difference in the melting temperatures of the fragments of the two alleles by increasing the GC content of the longer allele-specific primer resulting in a higher melting temperature of the corresponding fragment. Using the murine retinal degeneration mutations rd1 and rd8 as an example, we show that such primers result in an easy to handle genotyping procedure: qPCR followed by melting curve analysis. In summary, MS-PCR is a simple and easy-to-use method for detecting single nucleotide variants.

Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography-Navigated Laser Photocoagulation of Retinal Hemangioblastomas in Patients With von Hippel-Lindau Disease.

Purpose: To describe optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA)-guided navigated laser photocoagulation (LP) using the Navilas Laser System for treating retinal hemangioblastomas (RHs) associated with von Hippel-Lindau disease (VHLD). Methods: Patients with VHLD were screened using ophthalmoscopy and widefield OCTA. Detected RHs were classified with regard to tumor morphology (endophytic, sessile, exophytic, recurrent) and size. Then, 6 × 6- or 3 × 3-mm2 en face OCTA scans of the RHs were uploaded to the Navilas system, generating a merged image combining the scan and Navilas fundus photography. LP was planned by placing laser spots in the OCTA scan and executed with the Navilas system. Treatment efficacy was assessed by conducting OCTA scans immediately after LP and at follow-up visits. Results: Fifteen RHs were detected in 10 patients (median, one RH; range, one to four). Twelve RHs were treatment naive (exophytic [3], sessile [3], and endophytic [6]), and there were three recurrent RHs in pretreated areas. Total applied energy per tumor correlated with tumor size (P < 0.001). After a mean first follow-up of 3.6 ± 1.5 months (range, 0.9-5.3), nine RHs exhibited complete regression (60%), five partial regression (33.3%), and one no regression (6.7%). No correlation between tumor morphology and treatment success was observed (P = 0.32). However, a correlation between treatment success and tumor size trended toward significance (P = 0.08), with a 100% success rate observed for small RHs. Conclusions: OCTA-guided LP via the Navilas Laser System is a promising technique, especially beneficial for targeting small RHs. Combining OCTA and ophthalmoscopy improves tumor detection, underscoring the utility of this approach. Translational Relevance: OCTA-guided LP enables highly precise and safe treatment of early-stage RHs, minimizing possible complications caused by LP or the tumor itself.

Investigating Angiogenesis on a Functional and Molecular Level by Leveraging the Scratch Wound Migration Assay and the Spheroid Sprouting Assay.

Angiogenesis plays a crucial role in both physiological and pathological processes within the body including tumor growth or neovascular eye disease. A detailed understanding of the underlying molecular mechanisms and reliable screening models are essential for targeting diseases effectively and developing new therapeutic options. Several in vitro assays have been developed to model angiogenesis, capitalizing on the opportunities a controlled environment provides to elucidate angiogenic drivers at a molecular level and screen for therapeutic targets. This study presents workflows for investigating angiogenesis in vitro using human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). We detail a scratch wound migration assay utilizing a live cell imaging system measuring endothelial cell migration in a 2D setting and the spheroid sprouting assay assessing endothelial cell sprouting in a 3D setting provided by a collagen matrix. Additionally, we outline strategies for sample preparation to enable further molecular analyses such as transcriptomics, particularly in the 3D setting, including RNA extraction as well as immunocytochemistry. Altogether, this framework offers scientists a reliable and versatile toolset to pursue their scientific inquiries in in vitro angiogenesis assays.

Enrichment, Characterization, and Proteomic Profiling of Small Extracellular Vesicles Derived from Human Limbal Mesenchymal Stromal Cells and Melanocytes.

Limbal epithelial progenitor cells (LEPC) rely on their niche environment for proper functionality and self-renewal. While extracellular vesicles (EV), specifically small EVs (sEV), have been proposed to support LEPC homeostasis, data on sEV derived from limbal niche cells like limbal mesenchymal stromal cells (LMSC) remain limited, and there are no studies on sEVs from limbal melanocytes (LM). In this study, we isolated sEV from conditioned media of LMSC and LM using a combination of tangential flow filtration and size exclusion chromatography and characterized them by nanoparticle tracking analysis, transmission electron microscopy, Western blot, multiplex bead arrays, and quantitative mass spectrometry. The internalization of sEV by LEPC was studied using flow cytometry and confocal microscopy. The isolated sEVs exhibited typical EV characteristics, including cell-specific markers such as CD90 for LMSC-sEV and Melan-A for LM-sEV. Bioinformatics analysis of the proteomic data suggested a significant role of sEVs in extracellular matrix deposition, with LMSC-derived sEV containing proteins involved in collagen remodeling and cell matrix adhesion, whereas LM-sEV proteins were implicated in other cellular bioprocesses such as cellular pigmentation and development. Moreover, fluorescently labeled LMSC-sEV and LM-sEV were taken up by LEPC and localized to their perinuclear compartment. These findings provide valuable insights into the complex role of sEV from niche cells in regulating the human limbal stem cell niche.

ZEISS PLEX Elite 9000 Widefield Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography as Screening Method for Early Detection of Retinal Hemangioblastomas in von Hippel-Lindau Disease.

Purpose: To evaluate early detection of retinal hemangioblastomas (RHs) in von Hippel-Lindau disease (VHLD) with widefield optical coherence tomography angiography (wOCTA) compared to the standard of care in ophthalmologic VHLD screening in a routine clinical setting. Methods: We conducted prospective comparisons of three screening methods: wOCTA, standard ophthalmoscopy, and fluorescein angiography (FA), which was performed only in uncertain cases. The numbers of detected RHs were compared among the three screening methods. The underlying causes for the lack of detection were investigated. Results: In 91 eyes (48 patients), 67 RHs were observed (mean, 0.74 ± 1.59 RH per eye). FA was performed in eight eyes. Ophthalmoscopy overlooked 25 of the 35 RHs detected by wOCTA (71.4%) due to the background color of the choroid (n = 5), small tumor size (n = 13), masking by a bright fundus reflex (n = 2), and masking by surrounding retinal scars (n = 5). However, wOCTA missed 29 RHs due to peripheral location (43.3%). The overall detection rates were up to 37% on the basis of ophthalmoscopy alone, up to 52% for wOCTA, and 89% for FA. Within the retinal area covered by wOCTA, the detection rates were up to 46.7% for ophthalmoscopy alone, up to 92.1% for wOCTA, and 73.3% for FA. Conclusions: The overall low detection rate of RHs using wOCTA is almost exclusively caused by its inability to visualize the entire peripheral retina. Therefore, in unclear cases, FA is necessary after ophthalmoscopy. Translational Relevance: Within the imageable retinal area, wOCTA shows a high detection rate of RHs and therefore may be suitable to improve screening for RHs in VHLD.

METHYLATION-ASSOCIATED PATHWAYS IN MACULAR TELANGIECTASIA TYPE 2 AND OPHTHALMOLOGIC FINDINGS IN PATIENTS WITH GENETIC METHYLATION DISORDERS.

PURPOSE: Serine (Ser) and glycine (Gly) levels were reported to differ between patients with macular telangiectasia type 2 (MacTel) compared with healthy controls. Because they are closely related to methylation metabolism, this report investigates methylation-associated metabolite levels in patients with MacTel and retinal changes in monogenetic methylation disorders. METHODS: Prospective, monocentric study on patients with MacTel and healthy controls underwent a standardized protocol including a blood draw. Methylation-associated metabolite levels in plasma were determined using targeted quantitative metabolomics. Furthermore, patient records of cystathionine beta-synthase, methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase, and methylmalonic aciduria and homocystinuria type C protein (MMACHC) deficiency were screened for reported retinal changes. RESULTS: In total, 29 patients with MacTel and 27 healthy controls were included. Patients with MacTel showed lower plasma Ser ( P = 0.02 and P = 0.01) and Gly ( P = 0.11 and P = 0.11) levels than controls. Principal component analyses revealed that methylation-associated metabolite, especially homocysteine, contributed to a distinct clustering of patients with MacTel. No retinal changes were seen in cystathionine beta-synthase (n = 1) and methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (n = 2) deficiency, while two patients with MMACHC (n = 4) deficiency displayed extensive macular dystrophy. CONCLUSION: Patients with MacTel show distinct clustering of methylation-associated metabolite compared with controls. Of the three homocystinurias, only MMACHC resulted in macular dystrophy, possibly due to distinct compensatory pathways.

2D and 3D in vitro angiogenesis assays highlight different aspects of angiogenesis.

In angiogenesis research, scientists need to carefully select appropriate in vitro models to test their hypotheses to minimize the risk for false negative or false positive study results. In this study, we investigate molecular differences between simple two-dimensional and more complex three-dimensional angiogenesis assays and compare them to in vivo data from cancer-associated angiogenesis using an unbiased transcriptomic analysis. Human umbilical vein endothelial cells were treated with VEGF in 2D wound healing and proliferation assays and the 3D spheroid sprouting assay. VEGF-induced transcriptomic shifts were assessed in both settings by bulk RNA sequencing. Immunocytochemistry was used for protein detection. The data was linked to the transcriptomic profile of vascular endothelial cells from a single cell RNA sequencing dataset of various cancer tissue compared to adjacent healthy tissue control. VEGF induced a more diverse transcriptomic shift in vascular endothelial cells in a 3D experimental setting (767 differentially expressed genes) compared to the 2D settings (167 differentially expressed genes). Particularly, VEGF-induced changes in cell-matrix interaction, tip cell formation, and glycolysis were pronounced in the 3D spheroid sprouting experiments. Immunocytochemistry for VCAM1 and CD34 confirmed enhanced expression in response to VEGF-treatment in 3D settings. In vivo, vascular endothelial cells within various cancer tissue were characterized by strong transcriptomic changes in cell-matrix interaction and glycolysis similar to the 3D setting. Consequently, 3D assays may better address certain key aspects of angiogenesis in comparison to fast and scalable 2D assays. This should be taken into consideration within the context of each research question.

Oncostatin M Reduces Pathological Neovascularization in the Retina Through Müller Cell Activation.

Purpose: Continuous vision loss due to vasoproliferative eye disease still represents an unsolved issue despite anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) therapy. The impact of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) signaling on retinal angiogenesis and its potential use as a therapeutic target remain controversial. In vitro, oncostatin M (OSM), as a strong STAT3 activator, possesses robust proangiogenic activity. This study investigated to what extent the proangiogenic effects of OSM translate to the in vivo setting of vasoproliferative eye disease. Methods: The in vitro effect of OSM on endothelial cells was investigated in the spheroid sprouting assay and through RNA sequencing. The mouse model for oxygen-induced retinopathy (OIR) was used to evaluate the impact of OSM in vivo. Signaling patterns were measured by western blot and retinal cryosections. Primary Müller cell cultures were used to evaluate the effect of OSM on the Müller cell secretome. Murine retinal vascular endothelial cells were isolated from OIR retinas using fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) and were used for RNA sequencing. Results: Although OSM induced pro-angiogenic responses in vitro, in the OIR model intravitreal injection of OSM reduced retinal neovascularization by 65.2% and vaso-obliteration by 45.5% in Müller cells. Injecting OSM into the vitreous activated the STAT3 signaling pathway in multiple retinal cell types, including Müller cells. In vitro, OSM treatment increased CXCL10 secretion. RNA sequencing of sorted vascular endothelial cells at OIR P17 following OSM treatment indicated downregulation of angiogenesis- and mitosis-associated genes. Conclusions: In vivo, OSM reveals a beneficial angiomodulatory effect by activating Müller cells and changing their secretome. The data highlight contradictions between cytokine-induced effects in vitro and in vivo depending on the cell types mediating the effect.

Applications of Deep Learning: Automated Assessment of Vascular Tortuosity in Mouse Models of Oxygen-Induced Retinopathy.

Objective: To develop a generative adversarial network (GAN) to segment major blood vessels from retinal flat-mount images from oxygen-induced retinopathy (OIR) and demonstrate the utility of these GAN-generated vessel segmentations in quantifying vascular tortuosity. Design: Development and validation of GAN. Subjects: Three datasets containing 1084, 50, and 20 flat-mount mice retina images with various stains used and ages at sacrifice acquired from previously published manuscripts. Methods: Four graders manually segmented major blood vessels from flat-mount images of retinas from OIR mice. Pix2Pix, a high-resolution GAN, was trained on 984 pairs of raw flat-mount images and manual vessel segmentations and then tested on 100 and 50 image pairs from a held-out and external test set, respectively. GAN-generated and manual vessel segmentations were then used as an input into a previously published algorithm (iROP-Assist) to generate a vascular cumulative tortuosity index (CTI) for 20 image pairs containing mouse eyes treated with aflibercept versus control. Main Outcome Measures: Mean dice coefficients were used to compare segmentation accuracy between the GAN-generated and manually annotated segmentation maps. For the image pairs treated with aflibercept versus control, mean CTIs were also calculated for both GAN-generated and manual vessel maps. Statistical significance was evaluated using Wilcoxon signed-rank tests (P ≤ 0.05 threshold for significance). Results: The dice coefficient for the GAN-generated versus manual vessel segmentations was 0.75 ± 0.27 and 0.77 ± 0.17 for the held-out test set and external test set, respectively. The mean CTI generated from the GAN-generated and manual vessel segmentations was 1.12 ± 0.07 versus 1.03 ± 0.02 (P = 0.003) and 1.06 ± 0.04 versus 1.01 ± 0.01 (P < 0.001), respectively, for eyes treated with aflibercept versus control, demonstrating that vascular tortuosity was rescued by aflibercept when quantified by GAN-generated and manual vessel segmentations. Conclusions: GANs can be used to accurately generate vessel map segmentations from flat-mount images. These vessel maps may be used to evaluate novel metrics of vascular tortuosity in OIR, such as CTI, and have the potential to accelerate research in treatments for ischemic retinopathies. Financial Disclosures: The author(s) have no proprietary or commercial interest in any materials discussed in this article.

STAT3 signaling induced by the IL-6 family of cytokines modulates angiogenesis.

Aberrant angiogenesis is a hallmark of cardiovascular and retinal neovascular disease. The STAT3 signaling pathway represents a potential pharmacological target for these diseases due to its impact on angiogenesis. Surprisingly, some STAT3 activators, such as the IL-6 cytokine family member oncostatin M (OSM), enhance angiogenesis, whereas others, such as ciliary neurotropic factor (CNTF), reduce it. This study aimed to clarify these conflicting effects. In contrast to the anti-angiogenic cytokine CNTF, the pro-angiogenic cytokine OSM was able to activate intracellular signaling pathways beyond the STAT3 pathway, including the ERK and AKT pathways. These differences translated into transcriptomic and metabolic shifts. siRNA-mediated STAT3 knockdown experiments showed a decrease in VEGF-induced endothelial migration and sprouting, enhancing the pro-angiogenic drive of OSM and switching the CNTF response from anti-angiogenic to pro-angiogenic. These effects correlated with a transcriptomic shift representing enhanced STAT1 and ERK activity following STAT3 knockdown, including a compensatory prolonged phosphorylated STAT1 activity. In conclusion, the angiogenic effect of STAT3 appears to be determined by cytokine-induced STAT3 specificity and simultaneous activity of other intracellular signaling pathways, whereas the STAT3 pathway, predominantly recognized for its pro-angiogenic phenotypes, reveals novel anti-angiogenic potential.

[The economic importance of individual health services (IGeL) in ophthalmology over time: survey results from 2010 and 2020]. / Die wirtschaftliche Bedeutung von Individuellen Gesundheitsleistungen (IGeL) in der Augenheilkunde über die Zeit: Umfrageergebnisse aus 2010 und 2020.

BACKGROUND: Individual health services (IGeL) enable patients to receive medical services not covered by social health care; however, there is no central data collection on IGeL in Germany. OBJECTIVE: This study illustrates the spectrum of IGeL provided in the field of ophthalmology as an example of the importance of IGeL in Germany based on survey results. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Nationwide, 10% of ophthalmologists in private practice were randomly selected in this anonymous survey in 2010 and 2020 while in 2020 in addition to the randomized 10% of ophthalmologists the same ophthalmologists from 2010 were contacted. By means of a written questionnaire, ophthalmologists were asked about their practice structure, total revenue from IGeL as well as the frequency and price of specific IGeL. RESULTS: Income from IGeL was estimated at an average of 21% of the regular service volume in 2010 and 23% in 2020. Glaucoma IGeL and medical report IGeL were offered by almost all ophthalmologists and glaucoma screening being performed most frequently with an average frequency of over 150 examinations/month. IGeL, such as HRT IGeL were offered by significantly fewer ophthalmologists in 2020 than in 2010, while IGeL based on other technological procedures such as glaucoma OCT were offered more frequently in 2020. CONCLUSION: The volume of IGeL provided in established ophthalmological practices was stable between 2010 and 2020. The range of services offered in 2020 compared to 2010 reflects a dynamic change associated with the entry of new technologies into routine care.

Addressing bias in manual segmentation of spheroid sprouting assays with U-Net.

Purpose: Angiogenesis research faces the issue of false-positive findings due to the manual analysis pipelines involved in many assays. For example, the spheroid sprouting assay, one of the most prominent in vitro angiogenesis models, is commonly based on manual segmentation of sprouts. In this study, we propose a method for mitigating subconscious or fraudulent bias caused by manual segmentation. This approach involves training a U-Net model on manual segmentations and using the readout of this U-Net model instead of the potentially biased original segmentations. Our hypothesis is that U-Net will mitigate any bias in the manual segmentations because this will impose only random noise during model training. We assessed this idea using a simulation study. Methods: The training data comprised 1531 phase contrast images and manual segmentations from various spheroid sprouting assays. We randomly divided the images 1:1 into two groups: a fictitious intervention group and a control group. Bias was simulated exclusively in the intervention group. We simulated two adversarial scenarios: 1) removal of a single randomly selected sprout and 2) systematic shortening of all sprouts. For both scenarios, we compared the original segmentation, adversarial segmentation, and respective U-Net readouts. In the second step, we assessed the sensitivity of this approach to detect a true positive effect. We sampled multiple treatment and control groups with decreasing treatment effects based on unbiased ground truth segmentation. Results: This approach was able to mitigate bias in both adversarial scenarios. However, in both scenarios, U-Net detected the real treatment effects based on a comparison to the ground truth. Conclusions: This method may prove useful for verifying positive findings in angiogenesis experiments with a manual analysis pipeline when full investigator masking has been neglected or is not feasible.

Transcriptomic Landscape and Functional Characterization of Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Limbal Epithelial Progenitor Cells.

Limbal stem cell deficiency (LSCD) is a complex, multifactorial disease affecting limbal epithelial progenitor cells (LEPC), which are essential for maintaining corneal stability and transparency. Human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived (hiPSC-) LEPC are a promising cell source for the treatment of LSCD. However, their similarity to native tissue-derived (T-) LEPC and their functional characterization has not been studied in detail. Here, we show that hiPSC-LEPC and T-LEPC have rather similar gene expression patterns, colony-forming ability, wound-healing capacity, and melanosome uptake. In addition, hiPSC-LEPC exhibited lower immunogenicity and reduced the proliferation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells compared with T-LEPC. Similarly, the hiPSC-LEPC secretome reduced the proliferation of vascular endothelial cells more than the T-LEPC secretome. Moreover, hiPSC-LEPC successfully repopulated decellularized human corneolimbal (DHC/L) scaffolds with multilayered epithelium, while basal deposition of fibrillary material was observed. These findings suggest that hiPSC-LEPC exhibited functional properties close to native LEPC and that hiPSC-LEPC-DHC/L scaffolds might be feasible for transplantation in patients suffering from LSCD in the future. Although hiPSC-LEPC-based stem cell therapy is promising, the current study also revealed new challenges, such as abnormal extracellular matrix deposition, that need to be overcome before hiPSC-LEPC-based stem cell therapies are viable.

Reprogramming of T cell-derived small extracellular vesicles using IL2 surface engineering induces potent anti-cancer effects through miRNA delivery.

T cell-derived small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) exhibit anti-cancer effects. However, their anti-cancer potential should be reinforced to enhance clinical applicability. Herein, we generated interleukin-2-tethered sEVs (IL2-sEVs) from engineered Jurkat T cells expressing IL2 at the plasma membrane via a flexible linker to induce an autocrine effect. IL2-sEVs increased the anti-cancer ability of CD8+ T cells without affecting regulatory T (Treg ) cells and down-regulated cellular and exosomal PD-L1 expression in melanoma cells, causing their increased sensitivity to CD8+ T cell-mediated cytotoxicity. Its effect on CD8+ T and melanoma cells was mediated by several IL2-sEV-resident microRNAs (miRNAs), whose expressions were upregulated by the autocrine effects of IL2. Among the miRNAs, miR-181a-3p and miR-223-3p notably reduced the PD-L1 protein levels in melanoma cells. Interestingly, miR-181a-3p increased the activity of CD8+ T cells while suppressing Treg cell activity. IL2-sEVs inhibited tumour progression in melanoma-bearing immunocompetent mice, but not in immunodeficient mice. The combination of IL2-sEVs and existing anti-cancer drugs significantly improved anti-cancer efficacy by decreasing PD-L1 expression in vivo. Thus, IL2-sEVs are potential cancer immunotherapeutic agents that regulate both immune and cancer cells by reprogramming miRNA levels.

nAMD: optimization of patient care and patient-oriented information with the help of an internet-based survey.

PURPOSE: This survey was conducted to identify factors that influence how patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) deal with their disease and information that are considered useful from a patient's point of view. METHODS: A total of 5035 patients with nAMD living in Germany were interviewed via internet-based cross-sectional survey, where the following information was collected: personal data, disease awareness, and patients' needs. In addition, a Quality of Life questionnaire (SF-12v2) could be completed. RESULTS: Out of the 5035 participants, more males than females participated (55% vs 45%), and most participants were in the age groups 76 to 85 years (37%) and 66 to 75 years (35%). Seventy-three percent of patients rated their understanding of the disease as at least sufficient, and more than two-thirds of the patients (68%) were aware that their disease needs to be controlled on a regular basis and treated on an "as needed" basis. Regarding potential risk factors for AMD, most participants were aware of age (89%), but only 39% of hereditary load and 33% of smoking as evidence-based risk factors, indicating a need for further information. The doctor remains the major source of information (93%), with internet (29%), brochures (14%), opticians (13%), or patient support groups (4%) with only limited contribution. Distance to the treatment center was identified as one of the factors, which had the greatest influence on patients' compliance. A "treat as needed" regime turned out to be the preferred control and treatment schedule in contrast to a "fixed appointment" every 4 weeks. CONCLUSION: This internet-based survey appears to be representative for nAMD patients. To increase patients' compliance, proximity to the treatment center and a "treat as needed" regime turned out to be important factors as well as patients' awareness of their disease. In this regard, the reported desire for more information indicates that patients' knowledge still needs to be improved. Our results will help to further optimize patient care and patient-oriented information.

Single-Cell Protein and Transcriptional Characterization of Epiretinal Membranes From Patients With Proliferative Vitreoretinopathy.

Purpose: Proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR) remains an unresolved clinical challenge and can lead to frequent revision surgery and blindness vision loss. The aim of this study was to characterize the microenvironment of epiretinal PVR tissue, in order to shed more light on the complex pathophysiology and to unravel new treatment options. Methods: A total of 44 tissue samples were analyzed in this study, including 19 epiretinal PVRs, 13 epiretinal membranes (ERMs) from patients with macular pucker, as well as 12 internal limiting membranes (ILMs). The cellular and molecular microenvironment was assessed by cell type deconvolution analysis (xCell), RNA sequencing data and single-cell imaging mass cytometry. Candidate drugs for PVR treatment were identified in silico via a transcriptome-based drug-repurposing approach. Results: RNA sequencing of tissue samples demonstrated distinct transcriptional profiles of PVR, ERM, and ILM samples. Differential gene expression analysis revealed 3194 upregulated genes in PVR compared with ILM, including FN1 and SPARC, which contribute to biological processes, such as extracellular matrix (ECM) organization. The xCell and IMC analyses showed that PVR membranes were composed of macrophages, retinal pigment epithelium, and α-SMA-positive myofibroblasts, the latter predominantly characterized by the co-expression of immune cell signature markers. Finally, 13 drugs were identified as potential therapeutics for PVR, including aminocaproic acid and various topoisomerase-2A inhibitors. Conclusions: Epiretinal PVR membranes exhibit a unique and complex transcriptional and cellular profile dominated by immune cells and myofibroblasts, as well as a variety of ECM components. Our findings provide new insights into the pathophysiology of PVR and suggest potential targeted therapeutic options.

In-Depth Molecular Characterization of Neovascular Membranes Suggests a Role for Hyalocyte-to-Myofibroblast Transdifferentiation in Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy.

Background: Retinal neovascularization (RNV) membranes can lead to a tractional retinal detachment, the primary reason for severe vision loss in end-stage disease proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR). The aim of this study was to characterize the molecular, cellular and immunological features of RNV in order to unravel potential novel drug treatments for PDR. Methods: A total of 43 patients undergoing vitrectomy for PDR, macular pucker or macular hole (control patients) were included in this study. The surgically removed RNV and epiretinal membranes were analyzed by RNA sequencing, single-cell based Imaging Mass Cytometry and conventional immunohistochemistry. Immune cells of the vitreous body, also known as hyalocytes, were isolated from patients with PDR by flow cytometry, cultivated and characterized by immunohistochemistry. A bioinformatical drug repurposing approach was applied in order to identify novel potential drug options for end-stage diabetic retinopathy disease. Results: The in-depth transcriptional and single-cell protein analysis of diabetic RNV tissue samples revealed an accumulation of endothelial cells, macrophages and myofibroblasts as well as an abundance of secreted ECM proteins such as SPARC, FN1 and several types of collagen in RNV tissue. The immunohistochemical staining of cultivated vitreal hyalocytes from patients with PDR showed that hyalocytes express α-SMA (alpha-smooth muscle actin), a classic myofibroblast marker. According to our drug repurposing analysis, imatinib emerged as a potential immunomodulatory drug option for future treatment of PDR. Conclusion: This study delivers the first in-depth transcriptional and single-cell proteomic characterization of RNV tissue samples. Our data suggest an important role of hyalocyte-to-myofibroblast transdifferentiation in the pathogenesis of diabetic vitreoretinal disease and their modulation as a novel possible clinical approach.

Interferon-γ inhibits retinal neovascularization in a mouse model of ischemic retinopathy.

Interferon-γ (IFNG) is one of the key cytokines that regulates both innate and adaptive immune responses in the body. However, the role of IFNG in the regulation of vascularization, especially in the context of Vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFa)-induced angiogenesis is not clarified. Here, we report that IFNG shows potent anti-angiogenic potential against VEGFa-induced angiogenesis. IFNG significantly inhibited proliferation, migration, and tube formation of Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) both under basal and VEGFa-treated conditions. Intriguingly, Knockdown (KD) of STAT1 abolished the inhibitory effect of IFNG on VEGFa-induced angiogenic processes in HUVECs. Furthermore, IFNG exhibited potent anti-angiogenic efficacy in the mouse model of oxygen-induced retinopathy (OIR), an in vivo model for hypoxia-induced retinal neovascularization, without induction of functional side effects. Taken together, these results show that IFNG plays a crucial role in the regulation of VEGFa-dependent angiogenesis, suggesting its potential therapeutic applicability in neovascular diseases.

Genotype-phenotype correlation in von Hippel-Lindau disease.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Retinal haemangioblastomas (RH) remain a major cause of visual impairment in patients with von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) disease. Identification of genotype-phenotype correlation is an important prerequisite for better management, treatment and prognosis. METHODS: Retrospective, single-centre cohort study of 200 VHL patients. Genetic data and date of onset of RH, central nervous system haemangioblastomas (CNSH), pheochromocytoma/paraganglioma (PPGL), clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) and pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasm (PNEN) were collected. The number and locations of RH were recorded. RESULTS: The first clinical finding occurred at an age of 26 ± 14 years (y) [mean ± SD]. In 91 ± 3% (95% CI 88-94) of the patients, at least one RH occur until the age of 60y. A total of 42 different rare VHL gene variants in 166 patients were detected. A higher age-related incidence of RH, CNSH, ccRCC and PNEN was detected in patients with a truncating variant (TV) compared to patients with a single amino-acid substitution/deletion (AASD) (all p < 0.01), while it is reverse for PPGL (p < 0.01). Patients with a TV showed 0.10 ± 0.15 RH per y during their lifetime compared to 0.05 ± 0.07 in patients with AASD (p < 0.02). The median enucleation/phthisis-free survival time in patients with a TV was 56y (95% CI 50-62) compared to 78y (95% CI 75-81) in patients with AASD (p < 0.02). CONCLUSION: Compared to patients with AASD, patients with a TV develop RH, CNSH, ccRCC and PNEN earlier. They experience a higher number of RH and bear a higher risk of enucleation/phthisis. Thus, patients with a TV might be considered for a more intensive ophthalmological monitoring.

Arteriovenous crossing in retinal vessels of mice, rats, and pigs.

Purpose: Retinal vein occlusions (RVOs) are a common disease, but there are no animal models for spontaneous RVO formation. The critical sites of predilection, especially for branch RVO (BRVO), are the arteriovenous crossing sites in the inner retina. To gain more insight into possible animal models, the anatomic structure of retinal arteriovenous crossings was investigated in mice, rats, and pigs and compared to the human situation. Methods: Retinal flat mounts and paraffin sections of eyes from mice, rats, pigs, and humans were stained with GS lectin, Masson's trichrome, or immunohistochemistry for ACTA2 and GFAP. Serial sections of arteriovenous crossing sites were investigated. Results: Mice usually do not show retinal arteriovenous crossings. Rats have a mean of 2.8±1.4 crossings per eye at a mean distance from the optic nerve head of 2.79±0.53 mm, though the diameters of the crossing vessels are small. The situation in pigs is similar to that in humans, with many arteriovenous crossings of vessels and with similar diameters as found in humans. A mean of 28.4±3.5 crossings per retina was found, and 23% of these were arterial overcrossings. Serial paraffin sections showed that the tunica media of the artery touched that of the vein, but they did not fuse. Conclusions: While the retinal arteriovenous crossings of mice and rats are absent or comprised of rather thin vessels, those in the porcine retina are similar to adult humans. Therefore, the porcine retinal vascular bed may serve as a model to assess early steps in the formation of RVOs.