ArticleNeuroscience2026
The mitochondria-targeted peptide HDAP2 reduces mitochondrial loss and retinal ganglion cell degeneration after optic nerve injury.
Article in Neuroscience, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
What it found
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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.
The trial behind it
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Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- Cardiolipin remodelling in mitochondrial therapeutics: translational evidence chains from elamipretide to emerging strategies.Frontiers in physiology · 2026Review
- Mitochondrial-Targeted HDAP2 Preserves Retinal Ganglion Cells and Increases Pressure Tolerance in DBA/2J Mice.Investigative ophthalmology & visual science · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
Abstract
Mitochondrial dysfunction is a critical early driver of retinal ganglion cell (RGC) loss in optic nerve injury. We evaluated whether HDAP2, a mitochondria-targeted aromatic peptide designed to support mitochondrial membrane integrity, could preserve neuronal structure after optic nerve crush (ONC) in C57BL/6 mice (both sexes, n = 31). Systemically administered HDAP2 penetrated the blood-retinal barrier and localized to RGCs and mitochondrial-rich retinal layers. Daily treatment significantly improved RGC survival compared to saline-treated ONC animals. RGC densities increased across central, midperipheral, and peripheral regions. Transmission electron microscopy revealed that HDAP2 substantially reduced mitochondrial loss within crushed optic nerve axons. Mitochondrial density in HDAP2-treated nerves approached levels observed in uninjured controls and was nearly 3-fold higher than untreated ONC nerves. Mitochondrial morphology was similar across groups, indicating that HDAP2 prevents mitochondrial loss rather than rescuing damaged organelles. HDAP2-treated nerves also exhibited a numerically higher density of structurally intact axons, consistent with reduced ultrastructural degeneration. These findings demonstrate that HDAP2 limits mitochondrial loss and attenuates neuronal degeneration after ONC. Together, the results support HDAP2 as a promising therapeutic candidate for protecting CNS projection neurons by maintaining mitochondrial stability after axonal injury.
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