Current researches in correlation between autophagy and glaucomatous optic neuropathy

Glaucoma is a chronic neurodegenerative disease of optic nerve accompanied by apoptosis of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs), cupping of optic nerve head, and visual field loss.The mechanism of glaucomatous optic neuropathy still has not yet been elucidated.Autophagy is an important metabolic pathway including degrading and recycling damaged organelles and macromolecules to maintain intracellular homeostasis, and it participates in the pathogenesis of various diseases.Some studies on the relationship between autophagy and glaucoma indicated that autophagy played a dual role during the glaucomatous neurodegenerative process, and it is verified that many metabolic pathways modulate autophagy by positive and negative regulation.To elucidate and take advantage of autophagy to manage neurodegeneration in glaucoma is of great importance.In this article, the probable effects of autophagy in the mechanism of glaucomatous optic neuropathy including ocular hypertension, damage to the optic nerve fiber layer, remodeling of optic nerve head, clearance of mutant protein, and immune reactions are reviewed.