Research progress of α-crystaIIin in regeneration of optic nerve injury / 国际眼科杂志(Guoji Yanke Zazhi)

ABSTRACT

·α-crystallin is the predominant structural protein in the lens.lt is a member of small heat shock proteins ( sHSPs) which has the common functions of HSPs.lt also has anti-apoptotic activity etc.Recently, it has been proved to combine with the cellular membrane of retinal ganglion cells ( RGCs ) to enhance the survival of RGCs and the regeneration of axons, thereby partly restore visual function.But we haven’t come to a unified conclusion of the mechanism.This review is focused on structure and functions of α-crystallin, the protection function and mechanism of α-crystallin towards RGCs after the optic nerve injury.