Jonathan R. Soucy; Julia Oswald; Emil Kriukov; Monichan Phay; John Masland; Christian Pernstich; Petr Baranov | TVST | 2025
Abstract
A slow-release cocktail of BDNF and GDNF markedly improves outcomes for stem-cell–derived retinal ganglion cell (RGC) therapy. In culture, the factors boosted RGC differentiation, survival, and spontaneous activity; in mouse optic-neuropathy models, co-treatment increased donor RGC survival ~2.7× (mouse→mouse) and ~15× (human→mouse) and also preserved host RGC function. The work shows that engineering the retinal microenvironment with sustained neurotrophic support can both protect vision and make RGC transplantation far more effective, offering a practical adjunct for glaucoma and other optic neuropathies across mild to severe disease stages.
