Insulin Signaling as a Therapeutic Target in Glaucomatous Neurodegeneration

Glaucoma is a multifactorial disease that is conventionally managed with treatments to lower intraocular pressure (IOP). Despite these efforts, many patients continue to lose their vision. The degeneration of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) and their axons in the optic tract that characterizes glaucom...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:International journal of molecular sciences 2021-04, Vol.22 (9), p.4672
Main Authors: Al Hussein Al Awamlh, Sara, Wareham, Lauren K, Risner, Michael L, Calkins, David J
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Alzheimer's disease
Animals
Apoptosis
Axons
Central nervous system
Degeneration
Disease Models, Animal
Glaucoma
Glaucoma - metabolism
Glaucoma - pathology
Glaucoma - therapy
Homeostasis
Humans
Insulin
Insulin - metabolism
Insulin resistance
Intraocular pressure
Kinases
Molecular Targeted Therapy
Neurodegeneration
Neurodegenerative Diseases - metabolism
Neurodegenerative Diseases - pathology
Neurodegenerative Diseases - therapy
Neuroprotection
Optic tract
PI3K/Akt
Retina
Retina - metabolism
Retina - pathology
Retinal ganglion cells
Retinal Ganglion Cells - metabolism
Retinal Ganglion Cells - pathology
Review
RGC
Signal Transduction
Vision
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Summary:Glaucoma is a multifactorial disease that is conventionally managed with treatments to lower intraocular pressure (IOP). Despite these efforts, many patients continue to lose their vision. The degeneration of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) and their axons in the optic tract that characterizes glaucoma is similar to neurodegeneration in other age-related disorders of the central nervous system (CNS). Identifying the different molecular signaling pathways that contribute to early neuronal dysfunction can be utilized for neuroprotective strategies that prevent degeneration. The discovery of insulin and its receptor in the CNS and retina led to exploration of the role of insulin signaling in the CNS. Historically, insulin was considered a peripherally secreted hormone that regulated glucose homeostasis, with no obvious roles in the CNS. However, a growing number of pre-clinical and clinical studies have demonstrated the potential of modulating insulin signaling in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. This review will highlight the role that insulin signaling plays in RGC neurodegeneration. We will focus on how this pathway can be therapeutically targeted to promote RGC axon survival and preserve vision.
ISSN:1422-0067
1661-6596
1422-0067
DOI:10.3390/ijms22094672