Bidirectional Hypoxic Extracellular Vesicle Signaling Between Muller Glia and Retinal Pigment Epithelium Regulates Retinal Metabolism and Barrier Function.

ABSTRACT: The retina is highly sensitive to oxygen and blood supply, and hypoxia plays a key role in retinal diseases such as diabetic retinopathy (DR) and age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Müller glial cells, which are essential for retinal homeostasis, respond to injury and hypoxia with reactive gliosis, characterized by the upregulation of the glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and vimentin, cellular hypertrophy, and extracellular matrix changes, which can impair retinal function and repair. The retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) supports photoreceptors, forms part of the blood-retinal barrier, and protects against oxidative stress; its dysfunction contributes to retinal degenerative diseases such as AMD, retinitis pigmentosa (RP), and Stargardt disease (SD). Extracellular vesicles (EVs)

SUBMITTER: Mansour AM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12383891 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature