Single-cell spatial transcriptomics of inherited retinal degeneration reveals broad and focal organization of disease responses

Single-cell spatial transcriptomics uncovers broad and focal organization of degeneration responses in LCA5 mouse retinas, revealing localized injury and stress patterns.

• Why it matters: Understanding the spatial distribution of disease responses is crucial for developing targeted therapies for inherited retinal degenerations, yet this organization has not been mapped before.
• What they did: Using seqFISH to profile 173 genes at single-cell resolution, researchers examined retinas at various disease stages, identifying regional differences in injury, stress, and functional markers.
• The result: Findings show injury responses are spatially organized into focal regions of about 100 μm, with localized gliosis and stress markers, providing a framework to explore tissue interactions in disease progression.