Disabling Müller Glia Preserves Retinal Function After Retinal Injury

-cKO lines, retinas exhibited partial structural preservation and, more prominently, sustained functional preservation following injury. Inner retinal function (Vmax) was consistently maintained despite reduced photoreceptor input. This phenotype was independent of age, timing of MG manipulation, or baseline retinal condition and was not reproduced by preconditioning paradigms. Dicer-deficient MG displayed reduced glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) immunoreactivity, indicating suppression of reactive gliosis; however, reduced GFAP alone was insufficient to confer neuroprotection. MG-specific miRNA depletion induces a neuroprotective retinal state characterized by preserved inner retinal function and reduced secondary degeneration. These results identify MG Dicer/miRNA networks as crucial regulators of injury responses and highlight not only a glia-driven degeneration mechanism but also a potential therapeutic target.