PMID: 22568101May 10, 2012Paper

Comprehensive strategy for retinal neuroprotection. Challenging the clinical application

Nippon Ganka Gakkai zasshi
Tatsuro Ishibashi

Abstract

The retina is the most critical tissue for visual function. The death of retinal neuronal cells results in a loss of visual acuity. A report in 2006 shows that Japan's top 5 ranking diseases leading to visual loss were related to the death of either retinal photoreceptor cells or retinal ganglion cells. This analysis suggests that neuroprotective strategy is one significant treatment for retinal disorders. In this review, we introduce four strategies for retinal neuroprotection: I. Direct Neuroprotection, II. Indirect Neuroprotection, ll. Neuroprotection for Surgical Stress, and IV. Minimally Invasive Equipment for Retinal Examination. I. Direct neuroprotection. Recently, apoptosis is reported to be an important factor in various ocular disorders. In this study, we focused on the apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF) as a target for retinal diseases. Our data indicate that AIF could contribute to photoreceptor apoptosis in retinal detachment, and that an AIF inhibitor, Nelfinavir, could prevent apoptotic change. We also clarified the essential role of AIF and oxidative damage in retinal photoreceptor death in retinal pigmentosa. Because clinical trials have shown that a neuroprotective factor, pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF)...Continue Reading

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Apoptosis

Apoptosis is a specific process that leads to programmed cell death through the activation of an evolutionary conserved intracellular pathway leading to pathognomic cellular changes distinct from cellular necrosis