Ben Yi Tew, Gerald C Gooden, Pei-An Lo, Dimitrios Pollalis, Brandon Ebright, Alex J Kalfa, Alejandra Gonzalez-Calle, Biju Thomas, David N Buckley, Thomas Simon, Zeyi Yang, Ege Iseri, Cody L Dunton, Vadim Backman, Stan Louie, Gianluca Lazzi, Mark S Humayun, Bodour Salhia
{"title":"Transcorneal electrical stimulation restores DNA methylation changes in retinal degeneration.","authors":"Ben Yi Tew, Gerald C Gooden, Pei-An Lo, Dimitrios Pollalis, Brandon Ebright, Alex J Kalfa, Alejandra Gonzalez-Calle, Biju Thomas, David N Buckley, Thomas Simon, Zeyi Yang, Ege Iseri, Cody L Dunton, Vadim Backman, Stan Louie, Gianluca Lazzi, Mark S Humayun, Bodour Salhia","doi":"10.3389/fnmol.2024.1484964","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Retinal degeneration is a major cause of irreversible blindness. Stimulation with controlled low-level electrical fields, such as transcorneal electrical stimulation (TES), has recently been postulated as a therapeutic strategy. With promising results, there is a need for detailed molecular characterization of the therapeutic effects of TES.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Controlled, non-invasive TES was delivered using a custom contact lens electrode to the retinas of Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) rats, a model of retinal degeneration. DNA methylation in the retina, brain and cell-free DNA in plasma was assessed by reduced representation bisulfite sequencing (RRBS) and gene expression by RNA sequencing.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>TES induced DNA methylation and gene expression changes implicated in neuroprotection in the retina of RCS rats. We devised an epigenomic-based retinal health score, derived from DNA methylation changes observed with disease progression in RCS rats, and showed that TES improved the epigenomic health of the retina. TES also induced DNA methylation changes in the superior colliculus: the brain which is involved in integrating visual signaling. Lastly, we demonstrated that TES-induced retinal DNA methylation changes were detectable in cell-free DNA derived from plasma.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>TES induced DNA methylation changes with therapeutic effects, which can be measured in circulation. Based on these changes, we were able to devise a liquid biopsy biomarker for retinal health. These findings shed light on the therapeutic potential and molecular underpinnings of TES, and provide a foundation for the further development of TES to improve the retinal health of patients with degenerative eye diseases.</p>","PeriodicalId":12630,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience","volume":"17 ","pages":"1484964"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5000,"publicationDate":"2024-12-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11656077/pdf/","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fnmol.2024.1484964","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"2024/1/1 0:00:00","PubModel":"eCollection","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"NEUROSCIENCES","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Background: Retinal degeneration is a major cause of irreversible blindness. Stimulation with controlled low-level electrical fields, such as transcorneal electrical stimulation (TES), has recently been postulated as a therapeutic strategy. With promising results, there is a need for detailed molecular characterization of the therapeutic effects of TES.
Methods: Controlled, non-invasive TES was delivered using a custom contact lens electrode to the retinas of Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) rats, a model of retinal degeneration. DNA methylation in the retina, brain and cell-free DNA in plasma was assessed by reduced representation bisulfite sequencing (RRBS) and gene expression by RNA sequencing.
Results: TES induced DNA methylation and gene expression changes implicated in neuroprotection in the retina of RCS rats. We devised an epigenomic-based retinal health score, derived from DNA methylation changes observed with disease progression in RCS rats, and showed that TES improved the epigenomic health of the retina. TES also induced DNA methylation changes in the superior colliculus: the brain which is involved in integrating visual signaling. Lastly, we demonstrated that TES-induced retinal DNA methylation changes were detectable in cell-free DNA derived from plasma.
Conclusion: TES induced DNA methylation changes with therapeutic effects, which can be measured in circulation. Based on these changes, we were able to devise a liquid biopsy biomarker for retinal health. These findings shed light on the therapeutic potential and molecular underpinnings of TES, and provide a foundation for the further development of TES to improve the retinal health of patients with degenerative eye diseases.
期刊介绍：
Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience is a first-tier electronic journal devoted to identifying key molecules, as well as their functions and interactions, that underlie the structure, design and function of the brain across all levels. The scope of our journal encompasses synaptic and cellular proteins, coding and non-coding RNA, and molecular mechanisms regulating cellular and dendritic RNA translation. In recent years, a plethora of new cellular and synaptic players have been identified from reduced systems, such as neuronal cultures, but the relevance of these molecules in terms of cellular and synaptic function and plasticity in the living brain and its circuits has not been validated. The effects of spine growth and density observed using gene products identified from in vitro work are frequently not reproduced in vivo. Our journal is particularly interested in studies on genetically engineered model organisms (C. elegans, Drosophila, mouse), in which alterations in key molecules underlying cellular and synaptic function and plasticity produce defined anatomical, physiological and behavioral changes. In the mouse, genetic alterations limited to particular neural circuits (olfactory bulb, motor cortex, cortical layers, hippocampal subfields, cerebellum), preferably regulated in time and on demand, are of special interest, as they sidestep potential compensatory developmental effects.
京公网安备 11010802042870号
京ICP备2023020795号-1
分享
求助内容：
应助结果提醒方式：
扫码关注我们
