Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41083790›Full record

ArticleScientific reports2025

Retinal degeneration driven by brain-derived neurotrophic factor deficiency in microglia and T-lymphocytes.

Sabrina Reinehr, Julia P Zehge, Katharina Klöster, Maike Mueller, Hasan H Hendek, Michael Sendtner, H Burkhard Dick, Ralf Gold, Stephanie C Joachim, Simon Faissner

RetractedAbstract readRetracted Publication
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Scientific reports, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It has been retracted, and should not be counted. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Sabrina Reinehr *Experimental Eye Research Institute, University Eye Hospital, Ruhr-University Bochum, In der Schornau 23-25, 44892, Bochum, Germany.
Julia P Zehge *Experimental Eye Research Institute, University Eye Hospital, Ruhr-University Bochum, In der Schornau 23-25, 44892, Bochum, Germany.
Katharina KlösterDepartment of Neurology, Ruhr-University Bochum, St. Josef-Hospital, Gudrunstraße 56, 44791, Bochum, Germany.
Maike MuellerExperimental Eye Research Institute, University Eye Hospital, Ruhr-University Bochum, In der Schornau 23-25, 44892, Bochum, Germany.
Hasan H HendekDepartment of Neurology, Ruhr-University Bochum, St. Josef-Hospital, Gudrunstraße 56, 44791, Bochum, Germany.
Michael SendtnerInstitute of Clinical Neurobiology, University Hospital Wuerzburg, Versbacher Straße 5, 97078, Wuerzburg, Germany.
H Burkhard DickExperimental Eye Research Institute, University Eye Hospital, Ruhr-University Bochum, In der Schornau 23-25, 44892, Bochum, Germany.
Ralf GoldDepartment of Neurology, Ruhr-University Bochum, St. Josef-Hospital, Gudrunstraße 56, 44791, Bochum, Germany.
Stephanie C Joachim *Experimental Eye Research Institute, University Eye Hospital, Ruhr-University Bochum, In der Schornau 23-25, 44892, Bochum, Germany. stephanie.joachim@rub.de.
Simon Faissner *Department of Neurology, Ruhr-University Bochum, St. Josef-Hospital, Gudrunstraße 56, 44791, Bochum, Germany. simon.faissner@rub.de.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Neurodegenerative diseases, such as glaucoma or multiple sclerosis, are characterized by progressive neuronal loss involving diverse pathogenic mechanisms. The brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) has been implicated in neuroprotection and neural plasticity, yet its regulation and involvement in retinal neurodegenerative diseases remain largely unclear. In this study, we investigated the impact of BDNF deficiency in immune cells on retinal integrity. Using mice with a conditional BDNF knockout in microglia/macrophages and T-cells or selectively in microglia/macrophages, we analyzed retinal changes at 3 and 7 months of age, with wildtype mice as controls. BDNF-deficient mice exhibited early and progressive degeneration of retinal ganglion cells and photoreceptors, accompanied by pronounced astrogliosis, which was exacerbated in aged animals. In 7-month-old mice, adaptive changes in synapses could be documented, evidenced through enhanced expression of the vesicular acetylcholine transporter. These findings demonstrate that BDNF from immune cells plays a crucial role in maintaining retinal homeostasis and that its loss promotes retinal neurodegeneration. Targeting immune cell-derived BDNF may offer novel therapeutic strategies for retinal involvement in neurodegenerative diseases with implications for treatment of glaucoma or multiple sclerosis.

Indexed as

Brain-Derived Neurotrophic FactorMicrogliaRetinal DegenerationT-LymphocytesAnimalsMacrophagesMiceMice, KnockoutRetinal Ganglion CellsBdnf protein, mouseBrain-Derived Neurotrophic FactorAstrogliosisBrain-derived neurotrophic factorGlaucomaMicrogliaMultiple sclerosisNeurodegenerationRetinal ganglion cells

Identifiers

PMID41083790
PMCPMC12518600

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.