Endogenous and Exogenous Neuroprotection by Neurotrophic Factors in the Mammalian Retina

Book excerpt: Neurotrophic factors play central roles in the developing and mature nervous system by promoting neuronal survival. The discovery in 1990 that an exogenously supplied neurotrophic factor could slow the progression of photoreceptor loss in an animal model of retinal degeneration has given rise to an active field of research whose ultimate goal is to develop neuroprotective therapy for patients with blinding diseases. At the same time, a growing body of evidence suggests that endogenously expressed neurotrophic factors maintain retinal health and mediate retinal responses to stress throughout life. This thesis investigates both the requirement for retinal expression of neurotrophic factors in a model of endogenous neuroprotection, and the activity of exogenous factors in a clinically relevant new model of retinal injury.