Autophagy is required for the development and functionality of lacrimal gland-like organoids

In this study, we aimed to generate lacrimal gland (LG) like organoids from genetic knockout human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) using a self-formed, ectodermal, autonomous, multi-zone (SEAM) differentiation strategy to understand how autophagy deficiency affects the LG development and its secretory function. We also examined the therapeutic potential of pharmacological agents in improving the cellular phenotypes and secretory function of LG-like organoids with autophagy deficiency. In this study, we aimed to generate lacrimal gland (LG) like organoids from genetic knockout human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) using a self-formed, ectodermal, autonomous, multi-zone (SEAM) differentiation strategy to understand how autophagy deficiency affects the LG development and its secretory function. We also examined the therapeutic potential of pharmacological agents in improving the cellular phenotypes and secretory function of LG-like organoids with autophagy deficiency. We generated bulk RNA transcriptomic data from wild-type and autophagy-deficient hESC-derived SEAM using three biological replicates from samples