Future Strategies for Optic Nerve Protection and Repair

Disorders in the function of the optic nerve are defined as optic neuropathy. Etiologically, they can be classified into different groups including glaucomatous, inflammatory (infectious/demyelinating), traumatic, ischemic, infiltrative, toxic, and hereditary. Treatment approaches and disease prognoses vary significantly. Retinal ganglion cells lack the capacity for self-renewal and have limited self-repair capabilities; Therefore, optic neuropathies can lead to irreversible partial or complete vision loss by causing axonal damage and subsequent death of retinal ganglion cells. This review aims to discuss the known mechanisms and limitations of regeneration, as well as to summarize current approaches and future strategies for optic nerve neuroprotection and neuroregeneration.