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Heparin-Binding Epidermal-like Growth Factor (HB-EGF) Reduces Cell Death in an Organoid Model of Retinal Damage

Tang, Michelle NH; Moosajee, Mariya; Sharif, Najam A; Limb, G Astrid; Eastlake, Karen; (2024) Heparin-Binding Epidermal-like Growth Factor (HB-EGF) Reduces Cell Death in an Organoid Model of Retinal Damage. Organoids , 3 (3) pp. 148-164. 10.3390/organoids3030010. Green open access

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Abstract

In zebrafish and various mammalian species, HB-EGF has been shown to promote Müller glia proliferation and activation of repair mechanisms that have not been fully investigated in human retina. In the current study, 70- to 90-day-old human retinal organoids were treated with 20 μM 4-hydroxytamoxifen (4-OHT), and CRX, REC, NRL, PAX6, VIM, GFAP, and VSX2 gene and protein expression were assessed at various times points after treatment. Organoids with or without 4-OHT-induced damage were then cultured with HB-EGF for 7 days. We showed that 20 μM 4-OHT caused a reduction in the number of recoverin-positive cells; an increase in the number of TUNEL-positive cells; and downregulation of the photoreceptor gene markers CRX, NRL, and REC. Culture of organoids with HB-EGF for 7 days after 4-OHT-induced damage caused a marked reduction in the number of TUNEL-positive cells and small increases in the number of Ki67-positive cells and PAX6 and NOTCH1 gene expression. The current results suggest that treatment of human ESC-derived retinal organoids with 4-OHT may be used as a model of retinal degeneration in vitro. Furthermore, HB-EGF treatment of human retinal organoids increases proliferating Müller cells, but only after 4-OHT induced damage, and may be an indication of Muller reactivity in response to photoreceptor damage. Further studies will aim to identify factors that may induce Müller cell-mediated regeneration of the human retina, aiding in the development of therapies for retinal degeneration.

Type: Article
Title: Heparin-Binding Epidermal-like Growth Factor (HB-EGF) Reduces Cell Death in an Organoid Model of Retinal Damage
Open access status: An open access version is available from UCL Discovery
DOI: 10.3390/organoids3030010
Publisher version: https://doi.org/10.3390/organoids3030010
Language: English
Additional information: This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License. The images or other third-party material in this article are included in the Creative Commons license, unless indicated otherwise in the credit line; if the material is not included under the Creative Commons license, users will need to obtain permission from the license holder to reproduce the material. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Keywords: Müller glia; retina; stem cells; retinal organoids; photoreceptors; degeneration; endogenous regeneration
UCL classification: UCL
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Brain Sciences
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Brain Sciences > Institute of Ophthalmology
URI: https://discovery-pp.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10203264
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