Single-Cell Transcriptomic Profiling of Canine Neuroretina Following Transplantation of Human ESC-derived Retinal Organoids [retina]

This study aimed to identify transcriptomic changes in the host retina following subretinal xenotransplantation. Single-cell gene expression profiles were generated from the neuroretina of normal canine eyes in regions directly overlying subretinally transplanted retinal organoids, which were derived from the WA09 CRX-tdTomato human embryonic stem cell (hESC) line. For comparison, single-cell gene expression profiles were also obtained from neuroretinal regions without graft exposure. Retinal organoids (ROs) derived from the WA09 CRX-tdTomato human embryonic stem cell line were transplanted into the subretinal space of immunosuppressed normal canine retinas. Three days post-transplantation, 5 mm neuroretinal punches were collected from the canine retina in two distinct areas: one directly overlying the subretinal graft and another from a graft-free region. These retinal punches were processed for single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNAseq) analysis. Data were generated from three independent experiments to ensure reproducibility and reliability of the findings.