A number of ocular diseases involving the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) are known to selectively injure the central region of the retina, but the molecular behavior of RPE cells from different regions is not well understood.

In the recent paper by Mullin et al., we isolated RPE cells from the center (macula) and periphery of four human donor eyes and examined both the gene expression state and the chromatin accessibility across the genome of these cells in order to understand regional changes in RPE cell biology. In addition to macular and peripheral differences, 4 distinct clusters of RPE cells were identified based on their gene expression.

This paper was published online at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajpath.2023.01.012