Pathomechanistic study of RCBTB1-associated inherited retinal disease using Xenopus tropicalis and patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells

We identified RCBTB1 as novel disease gene for inherited retinal disease. Proof-of-concept from a
Xenopus tropicalis rcbtb1 knockout and human deep phenotyping led to the hypothesis that
RCBTB1-disease affects RPE-biology. Key objectives are to understand RPE-disease progression
at the organismal level in the Xenopus tropicalis rcbtb1 knockout and in a patient-derived RPE
cellular model, and to characterize the subcellular level in the two models developed.