A Simplified Method for Isolation and Culture of Retinal Pigment Epithelial Cells from Adult Mice.

Retinal pigment epithelial cells (RPE) are critical for the proper function of the retina. RPE dysfunction is involved in the pathogenesis of important retinal diseases, such as age-related macular degeneration, retinitis pigmentosa, and diabetic retinopathy. We present a streamlined approach for the isolation of RPE from murine adult eyes.

Regulated cell death pathways in the sodium iodate model: Insights and implications for AMD.

The sodium iodate (NaIO) model of increased oxidative stress recapitulates dry AMD features such as patchy RPE loss, secondary photoreceptors, and underlying choriocapillaris death, allowing longitudinal evaluation of the retinal structure. Due to the time- and dose-dependent degeneration observed in diverse animal models, this preclinical model has become one of the most studied models. The events leading to RPE cell death post- NaIO injection have been extensively studied, and here we have reviewed different modalities of cell death, including apoptosis, necroptosis, ferroptosis, and pyroptosis with a particular focus on findings associated with in vivo and in vitro NaIO studies on RPE cell death.

The retinal pigment epithelium in Sorsby Fundus Dystrophy shows increased sensitivity to oxidative stress-induced degeneration.

Sorsby Fundus Dystrophy (SFD) is a rare inherited autosomal dominant macular degeneration caused by specific mutations in TIMP3. Patients with SFD present with pathophysiology similar to the more common Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) and loss of vision due to both choroidal neovascularization and geographic atrophy. Previously, it has been shown that RPE degeneration in AMD is due in part to oxidative stress.

Oxidative stress in the retina and retinal pigment epithelium (RPE): Role of aging, and DJ-1.

High levels of oxidative radicals generated by daily light exposure and high metabolic rate suggest that the antioxidant machinery of the retina and retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) is crucial for their survival. DJ-1 is a redox-sensitive protein that has been shown to have neuroprotective function in the brain in Parkinson's disease and other neurodegenerative diseases. Here, we analyzed the role of DJ-1 in the retina during oxidative stress and aging.

CD40 signaling drives B lymphocytes into an intermediate memory-like state, poised between naïve and plasma cells.

Immunological memory comprising of antigen-specific B and T cells contributes to the acquisition of long-term resistance to pathogens. Interactions between CD40 on B cells and CD40L on T cells are responsible for several aspects of acquired immune responses including generation of memory B cells. In order to gain insights into events leading to memory B cell formation, we analyzed the genome-wide expression profile of murine naive B cells stimulated in the presence of anti-CD40.

Extensive genetic diversity in the Plasmodium falciparum Na+/H+ exchanger 1 transporter protein implicated in quinine resistance.

The Plasmodium falciparum Na(+)/H(+) exchanger (Pfnhe-1) locus at chromosome 13 and another locus at chromosome 9 have recently been proposed to influence quinine resistance. Here, we sequenced the ms4760 locus of the Pfnhe-1 gene from 244 P. falciparum isolates collected from five different regions of India.