Mitochondrial gymnastics in retinal cells: a resilience mechanism against oxidative stress and neurodegeneration

Abstract

Inherited retinal dystrophies (IRDs) are a broad group of neurodegenerative disorders associated with reduced or deteriorating visual system. In the retina, cells are under constant oxidative stress, leading to elevated reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation that induces mitochondrial dysfunction and alteration of the mitochondrial network. This mitochondrial dysfunction combined with mutations in mitochondrial DNA and nuclear genes makes photoreceptors and retinal ganglion cells more susceptible to cell death. In this minireview, we focus on mitochondrial dynamics and their contribution to neuronal degeneration underlying IRDs, with particular attention to Leber hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON) and autosomal dominant optic atrophy (DOA), and propose targeting cell resilience and mitochondrial dynamics modulators as potential therapeutic approaches for retinal disorders.