This study evaluated whether chemerin and NPC2 — proteins secreted by iPSC-derived Müller glial cells (iMGCs) — promote retinal ganglion cell (RGC) survival and axon elongation, using iPSC-derived optic vesicles, ex vivo rat RGC transplantation to retinal explants, and rat primary retinal cells under hypoxia/reoxygenation conditions.
Chemerin and NPC2 promoted RGC axon elongation in iPSC-derived optic vesicles, increased the number of RGCs with neurites in ex vivo transplantation, and reduced RGC death under hypoxia/reoxygenation stress; both proteins were confirmed to be secreted by iMGCs via ELISA.
Findings are based on in vitro and ex vivo models only — no in vivo animal efficacy or safety data are provided. The iMGCs represent an early developmental stage and may not fully replicate mature primary MGC biology. Quantitative RGC counts and effect sizes are not reported in the abstract.
Chemerin and NPC2 are early-stage candidate proteins for neuroprotection in retinal diseases like glaucoma, but clinical translation will require in vivo validation before any change in practice.
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