Neuroprotective effects of cardiotrophin-like cytokine on retinal ganglion cells

Premature neuronal cell death is a feature of numerous central nervous system and eye diseases, including glaucoma. Neurons (including retinal ganglion cells, RGCs) are protected by several neurotrophic factors, among those the IL-6 family of cytokines. Lately, a novel member of the IL-6 family of cytokines has been identified and cloned. This cytokine is known as novel neurotrophin-1/B-cell-stimulating factor-3 (NNT-1/BSF-3) or cardiotrophin-like cytokine (CLC). It shows neurotrophic as well as B-cell stimulatory effects. In this study, the neuroprotective properties of CLC on RGC loss in vivo were investigated. CLC significantly protected RGCs from degeneration in both chosen models of retinal neuronal damage: optic nerve crush (P