To be or not to be - Decoding the Trabecular Meshwork Cell Identity

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Genomics
• Cell Biology

Background:

• The human trabecular meshwork (hTM) is crucial for maintaining intraocular pressure (IOP).
• In vitro hTM cell cultures are widely used but face challenges in translating findings to ex vivo or in vivo models due to cell heterogeneity.
• A direct transcriptomic comparison of primary hTM cells in culture versus native tissue has not been previously reported.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the cellular identity and translatability of primary hTM cell cultures compared to hTM tissue.
• To generate a comprehensive transcriptomic resource using single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) of primary hTM cells.
• To enable the study of global gene expression changes in hTM cells in vitro versus in situ.

Main Methods:

• Collected 14 primary hTM in vitro samples (passages 1-4), including samples from 4 individuals with glaucoma.
• Performed single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) on primary hTM cell cultures.
• Conducted extensive data preprocessing and quality control on the scRNA-seq dataset.

Main Results:

• Generated a detailed transcriptomic profile of primary hTM cells in vitro.
• Identified potential differences in cellular identity and gene expression between cultured hTM cells and hTM tissue.
• Established a publicly accessible dataset for the research community.

Conclusions:

• Primary hTM cell cultures exhibit significant transcriptomic differences compared to hTM tissue.
• Understanding these differences is essential for accurate interpretation of in vitro glaucoma studies.
• The generated dataset serves as a public resource to advance research on trabecular meshwork dysfunction and intraocular pressure regulation.