Protective Effects of nAChRs by Application of an Allosteric Modulator and nAChR Agonist to Retinal Ganglion Cells

Retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) are responsible for transmitting visual information from the retina in the eye to the brain\u27s visual centers. Loss of RGCS is the hallmark of glaucoma- a leading cause of blindness worldwide. Nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) activation on RGCs provides protection from cell death in several animal models. We studied the protective effects of nAChRs by applying a positive allosteric modulator (PAM) with a selective nAChR agonist to isolated RGCs. PAMs should allow increased survival of RGCs by enhancing activity of nAChRs. We exposed RGCs to various concentrations of agonist and PAM for 3 days. Cell viability was determined by counting live cells with fluorescence microscope techniques. To determine if the effects seen in isolated RGCs translates to retinal tissue, we have begun culturing retinal explants under similar conditions. PAMs have been used safely at other targets in the brain and could lead to effective glaucoma treatments