Single cell transcriptomics of retinal organoids reveal effects of PRPF31 mutations on Mueller glial activation and progressive photoreceptor degeneration

Among RP subtypes, RP11 is linked to mutations in PRPF31, a key spliceosome component, resulting in retinal cell dysfunction. Although PRPF31 is ubiquitously expressed, its mutations predominantly impact retinal cells, leading to the progressive loss of photoreceptors.

Human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived retinal organoids (ROs) offer a powerful in vitro model for studying RP pathophysiology and therapeutic development. Despite significant progress, studies focused on photoreceptor and retinal pigment epithelium dysfunction in late disease stages, leaving early molecular events and the involvement of other retinal cell types unresolved. Moreover, comprehensive single-cell analyses capturing dynamic transcriptional changes across all retinal populations at early and late differentiation stages are still lacking.