Summary
This review examines how glutamate excitotoxicity, driven by NMDA receptor overactivation, causes retinal ganglion cell (RGC) degeneration through calcium dysregulation, mitochondrial dysfunction, and endoplasmic reticulum stress. For lighting designers and healthcare professionals, understanding RGC vulnerability is relevant because these cells include the melanopsin-containing ipRGCs critical for circadian photoentrainment, meaning retinal neurodegeneration can impair not only vision but also light-driven circadian functions.
Key Findings
- Glutamate excitotoxicity is identified as a major initiating factor in RGC degeneration across multiple neurodegenerative and peripheral diseases, not solely retinal diseases.
- NMDA receptors are highlighted as the primary effectors of glutamate-induced neurodegeneration in RGCs, involving calcium homeostasis impairment, altered gene expression/signalling, and mitochondrial dysfunction.
- Novel modulators of NMDA receptor signalling are emerging as potential neuroprotective strategies for preserving RGC populations.
Categories
Eye Health & Vision: Reviews retinal ganglion cell degeneration mechanisms relevant to glaucoma and other retinal diseases affecting visual transmission.
Author(s)
I Boccuni, R Fairless
Publication Year
2022
Number of Citations
24
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