Cells from the adult corneal stroma can be reprogrammed to a neuron-like cell using exogenous growth factors.

Cells thought to be stem cells isolated from the cornea of the eye have been shown to exhibit neurogenic potential. We set out to uncover the identity and location of these cells within the cornea and to elucidate their neuronal protein and gene expression profile during the process of switching to a neuron-like cell. Here we report that every cell of the adult human and rat corneal stroma is capable of differentiating into a neuron-like cell when treated with neurogenic differentiation specifying growth factors. Furthermore, the expression of genes regulating neurogenesis and mature neuronal structure and function was increased. The switch from a corneal stromal cell to a neuron-like cell was also shown to occur in vivo in intact corneas of living rats. Our results clearly indicate that lineage specifying growth factors can affect changes in the protein and gene expression profiles of adult cells, suggesting that possibly many adult cell populations can be made to switch into another type of mature cell by simply modifying the growth factor environment.

Ectopic expression of a mechanosensitive channel confers spatiotemporal resolution to ultrasound stimulations of neurons for visual restoration.

Remote and precisely controlled activation of the brain is a fundamental challenge in the development of brain-machine interfaces for neurological treatments. Low-frequency ultrasound stimulation can be used to modulate neuronal activity deep in the brain, especially after expressing ultrasound-sensitive proteins. But so far, no study has described an ultrasound-mediated activation strategy whose spatiotemporal resolution and acoustic intensity are compatible with the mandatory needs of brain-machine interfaces, particularly for visual restoration. Here we combined the expression of large-conductance mechanosensitive ion channels with uncustomary high-frequency ultrasonic stimulation to activate retinal or cortical neurons over millisecond durations at a spatiotemporal resolution and acoustic energy deposit compatible with vision restoration. The in vivo sonogenetic activation of the visual cortex generated a behaviour associated with light perception. Our findings demonstrate that sonogenetics can deliver millisecond pattern presentations via an approach less invasive than current brain-machine interfaces for visual restoration.

Restoring light sensitivity using tunable near-infrared sensors.

Enabling near-infrared light sensitivity in a blind human retina may supplement or restore visual function in patients with regional retinal degeneration. We induced near-infrared light sensitivity using gold nanorods bound to temperature-sensitive engineered transient receptor potential (TRP) channels. We expressed mammalian or snake TRP channels in light-insensitive retinal cones in a mouse model of retinal degeneration. Near-infrared stimulation increased activity in cones, ganglion cell layer neurons, and cortical neurons, and enabled mice to perform a learned light-driven behavior. We tuned responses to different wavelengths, by using nanorods of different lengths, and to different radiant powers, by using engineered channels with different temperature thresholds. We targeted TRP channels to human retinas, which allowed the postmortem activation of different cell types by near-infrared light.

Cellular-scale evaluation of induced photoreceptor degeneration in the living primate eye.

Progress is needed in developing animal models of photoreceptor degeneration and evaluating such models with longitudinal, noninvasive techniques. We employ confocal scanning laser ophthalmoscopy, optical coherence tomography (OCT) and high-resolution retinal imaging to noninvasively observe the retina of non-human primates with induced photoreceptor degeneration. Photoreceptors were imaged at the single-cell scale in three modalities of adaptive optics scanning light ophthalmoscopy: traditional confocal reflectance, indicative of waveguiding; a non-confocal offset aperture technique visualizing scattered light; and two-photon excited fluorescence, the time-varying signal of which, at 730 nm excitation, is representative of visual cycle function. Assessment of photoreceptor structure and function using these imaging modalities revealed a reduction in retinoid production in cone photoreceptor outer segments while inner segments appeared to remain present. Histology of one retina confirmed loss of outer segments and the presence of intact inner segments. This unique combination of imaging modalities can provide essential, clinically-relevant information on both the structural integrity and function of photoreceptors to not only validate models of photoreceptor degeneration but potentially evaluate the efficacy of future cell and gene-based therapies for vision restoration.

miRNAs 182 and 183 are necessary to maintain adult cone photoreceptor outer segments and visual function.

The outer segments of cones serve as light detectors for daylight color vision, and their dysfunction leads to human blindness conditions. We show that the cone-specific disruption of DGCR8 in adult mice led to the loss of miRNAs and the loss of outer segments, resulting in photoreceptors with significantly reduced light responses. However, the number of cones remained unchanged. The loss of the outer segments occurred gradually over 1 month, and during this time the genetic signature of cones decreased. Reexpression of the sensory-cell-specific miR-182 and miR-183 prevented outer segment loss. These miRNAs were also necessary and sufficient for the formation of inner segments, connecting cilia and short outer segments, as well as light responses in stem-cell-derived retinal cultures. Our results show that miR-182- and miR-183-regulated pathways are necessary for cone outer segment maintenance in vivo and functional outer segment formation in vitro.