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- Title
The Nerve Growth Factor Signaling and Its Potential as Therapeutic Target for Glaucoma.
- Authors
HaitaoWang; Rikang Wang; Thilini Thrimawithana; Little, Peter J.; Jiangping Xu; Zhong-Ping Feng; Wenhua Zheng
- Abstract
Neuroprotective therapies which focus on factors leading to retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) degeneration have been drawingmore and more attention. The beneficial effects of nerve growth factor (NGF) on the glaucoma have been recently suggested, but its effects on eye tissue are complex and controversial in various studies. Recent clinical trials of systemically and topically administrated NGF demonstrate that NGF is effective in treating several ocular diseases, including glaucoma. NGF has two receptors named high affinity NGF tyrosine kinase receptor TrkA and low affinity receptor p75NTR. Both receptors exist in cells in retina like RGC (expressing TrkA) and glia cells (expressing p75NTR). NGF functions by binding to TrkA or p75NTR alone or both together. The binding of NGF to TrkA alone in RGCpromotes RGC''s survival and proliferation through activation of TrkA and several prosurvival pathways. In contrast, the binding of NGF to p75NTR leads to apoptosis although it also promotes survival in some cases. Binding of NGF to both TrkA and p75NTR at the same time leads to survival in which p75NTR functions as a TrkA helping receptor. This review discusses the current understanding of the NGF signaling in retina and the therapeutic implications in the treatment of glaucoma.
- Publication
BioMed Research International, 2014, Vol 2014, p1
- ISSN
2314-6133
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1155/2014/759473