2. Academic Validation
  3. Effects of NGF-chitosan on alleviating secondary degeneration and repairing primary degeneration after expanded partial optic nerve transection

Effects of NGF-chitosan on alleviating secondary degeneration and repairing primary degeneration after expanded partial optic nerve transection

  • Sci China Life Sci. 2025 May 27. doi: 10.1007/s11427-024-2756-9.
Xiao Liu 1,  Hongmei Duan 2,  Limin Gao 2,  Linhao Yuan 1,  Peng Hao 2,  Wen Zhao 2,  Yudan Gao 2,  Zitian Huang 2,  Xi Wang 1,  Wenjianlong Zhou 1,  Shunchang Ma 1 3,  Ningli Wang 4,  Kwok-Fai So 5 6 7 8 9,  Zhaoyang Yang 10,  Xiaoguang Li 11 12 13,  Wang Jia 14 15 16
Affiliations

Affiliations

  • 1 Department of Neurosurgery, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, National Center for Neurological Disorders, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100070, China.
  • 2 Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100069, China.
  • 3 Department of Neurotomy, Beijing Neurosurgical Institute, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100071, China.
  • 4 Beijing Tongren Eye Center, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences Key Laboratory, Beijing, 100005, China.
  • 5 Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Ministry of Education CNS Regeneration Collaborative Joint Laboratory, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China. hrmaskf@hku.hk.
  • 6 Bioland Laboratory (Guangzhou Regenerative Medicine and Health Guangdong Laboratory), Guangzhou, 510530, China. hrmaskf@hku.hk.
  • 7 Department of Ophthalmology and State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 999077, China. hrmaskf@hku.hk.
  • 8 Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, Guangzhou, 510515, China. hrmaskf@hku.hk.
  • 9 Co-innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Nantong University, Nantong, 226001, China. hrmaskf@hku.hk.
  • 10 Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100069, China. wack_lily@163.com.
  • 11 Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100069, China. lxgchina@sina.com.
  • 12 School of Engineering Medicine, Beijing Key Laboratory for Biomaterials and Neural Regeneration, Beihang University, Beijing, 100083, China. lxgchina@sina.com.
  • 13 Beijing International Cooperation Bases for Science and Technology on Biomaterials and Neural Regeneration, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Big Data-Based Precision Medicine, Beihang University, Beijing, 100083, China. lxgchina@sina.com.
  • 14 Department of Neurosurgery, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, National Center for Neurological Disorders, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100070, China. jwttyy@126.com.
  • 15 Department of Neurotomy, Beijing Neurosurgical Institute, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100071, China. jwttyy@126.com.
  • 16 China National Clinical Research Center for Neurological Diseases (NCRC-ND), Beijing, 100070, China. jwttyy@126.com.
PMID: 40448909 DOI: 10.1007/s11427-024-2756-9
Abstract

Optic neuropathy is one of the main causes of irreversible blindness in the world, and there is no effective treatment in clinic. Both primary degeneration and secondary degeneration play an important role in the injury caused by optic neuropathy. Partial optic nerve transection (PONT) model can be used to study these two kinds of degeneration simultaneously. However, there is currently no measure that can effectively intervene in both types of injuries concurrently. Here, we constructed an expanded partial optic nerve transection (EPONT) model. Nerve growth factor (NGF)-chitosan locally implanted into the injured area could simultaneously intervene in the secondary and primary degeneration, not only protecting the ventral part of the injured optic nerve, but also promoting the regeneration of the dorsal part. Visual functions, including pupillary light reflex and depth perception, were also well preserved. NGF-chitosan exerted biological effects by enhancing the expression of NGF and tyrosine kinase A (TrkA) in the optic nerve and retinal ganglion cells (RGCs). Furthermore, NGF-chitosan played a protective and repairing role by inhibiting the activation of microglia in the ventral area of the injured optic nerve and increasing the expression of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) in RGCs. Our results demonstrate that the local use of NGF-chitosan in the injured area effectively repaired the optic nerve, which provides a new measure for the clinical treatment of optic nerve injury.

Keywords

NGF-chitosan; partial optic nerve transection; primary degeneration; secondary degeneration; simultaneously intervene.

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