Single cell RNA sequencing technique provides a strong technical support for the analysis of cell heterogeneity in biological tissues, and has been widely used in biomedical research. In recent years, considerable scRNA-seq data have been accumulated in the research of ocular fundus diseases. The ocular fundus is abundant for the network of vessel and neuron, which leads to the complicated pathogenesis of fundus diseases. Through single cell RNA sequencing technique, the expression of thousands of genes of certain cell types or even subtypes can be obtained in the disease environment. Single cell RNA sequencing technique accurately reveals the pathogenic cell types and pathogenic mechanisms of ocular fundus diseases such as neovascular retinopathy, which provides a theoretical basis for the birth of new diagnosis and treatment targets. The construction of multi-omics single-cell database of ocular fundus diseases will enable high-quality data to be further explored and provide an analysis platform for ophthalmic researchers.
Lactate was originally thought to be a metabolic waste product of glycolysis produced by cells in hypoxic environment. In recent years, increasing evidence has indicated that lactate plays a crucial role in the physiological and pathological processes of the retina. Lactate is transported via monocarboxylate transporters in different retinal cell types such as photoreceptor cells and Müller cells to maintain the high metabolic demand of the retina. In addition to serving as oxiditive substrate for energy, lactate can mediate intracellular signal transduction through receptor G protein-coupled receptor 81, participating in the maintenance of retinal homeostasis and the progression of pathological neovascularization. Moreover, lactate-mediated protein lactylation directly regulates gene expression in microglia and T lymphocytes, which has gradually become a new hotspot in the field of retinal pathological neovascularization and neuroinflammation. Therefore, the regulation of lactate metabolism may provide novel perspectives for the treatment of retinal lactic acid metabolism disorders such as age-related macular degeneration and retinitis pigmentosa.