Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41996242›Full record

ArticleCell reports2026

Blocking apoptosis promotes survival and alters developmental dynamics of human retinal ganglion cells in retinal organoids.

Jingliang Simon Zhang, Brian Guy, Clayton P Santiago, Caterina Tiozzo, Meghana Sreenath, Ya-Wen Chen, Seth Blackshaw, Robert J Johnston

Abstract read
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In one paragraph

Article in Cell reports, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing 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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Jingliang Simon ZhangDepartment of Biology, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA.
Brian GuyDepartment of Biology, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA.
Clayton P SantiagoThe Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins Medical Institute, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA.
Caterina TiozzoDivision of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA.
Meghana SreenathDepartment of Otolaryngology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA.
Ya-Wen ChenDepartment of Otolaryngology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; Department of Cell, Developmental, and Regenerative Biology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; Institute for Airway Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA.
Seth BlackshawThe Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins Medical Institute, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA.
Robert J JohnstonDepartment of Biology, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA; The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins Medical Institute, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA. Electronic address: robertjohnston@jhu.edu.

Funding

Cone subtype specification in human retinas and organoidsR01EY030872 · NEI · JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY · PI JOHNSTON, ROBERT JOHN · 2020 to 2023
$2.1M
NEI NIH HHS R01 EY030872
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) are the projection neurons connecting the retina to the brain. In many species, a substantial proportion of RGCs are eliminated by programmed cell death during development to regulate their final number, but how cell death impacts human RGC development remains poorly understood. Here, we characterized cell death in human fetal retinas and retinal organoids. Both retinas and organoids exhibited two waves of apoptosis: an early wave targeting neurogenic retinal progenitor cells and neuronal precursors and a late wave affecting RGCs and other neurons. Additionally, organoids displayed a distinct wave of necrosis. Blocking apoptosis in organoids via BAX/BAK double knockout improved RGC survival but delayed RGC neurogenesis and maturation. Our results highlight the roles of apoptosis in human RGC development and the challenges in retinal organoid design. Addressing these limitations will improve the utility of organoids for studying human retinal development and modeling optic neuropathies such as glaucoma.

Indexed as

apoptosisBAKBAXCP: developmental biologyCP: stem cell researchhumannecrosisorganoidretinaretinal ganglion cellRGCtranscriptomics

Identifiers

PMID41996242
PMCPMC13181862

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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.