Journal article
Identification of immune cell subsets involved in retinal ganglion cell damage following blast exposure
Experimental eye research, Vol.267, 110961
06/2026
DOI: 10.1016/j.exer.2026.110961
PMID: 41794317
Abstract
Traumatic brain injury from blast exposure (bTBI) has been shown to cause functional and structural retinal ganglion cell (RGC) damage. Previous studies have shown the immune system is activated following blast exposure and that adoptive transfer (AT) of splenocytes from mice exposed to bTBI into healthy naïve mice caused RGC dysfunction and death. In the current study we have extended these findings to identify specific immune cell populations sufficient to induce RGC damage. C57BL/6J mice were exposed to bTBI. One month later either CD19
CD3
B-cells, CD3
T-cells, CD4
T-cells, CD8
T-cells, Dendritic cells (DCs), Natural Killer (NK) cells, or Pan B-cells (B-cells and plasma cells) were isolated from both sham mice as well as mice exposed to bTBI and were subsequently transferred into naïve healthy mice. Functional and structural analysis of the visual system was performed using the pattern electroretinogram (PERG), assessment of visual acuity, and optical coherence tomography imaging, followed by histological analysis at the end of the study. Our results have shown that AT of CD3
T-cells resulted in PERG deficits coupled with RGC loss. In contrast, CD4
T-cells, and Pan B-cells induced transient RGC dysfunction, but did not result in RGC loss. Our results have shown that CD3
T-cells, which include multiple types of T-cells, can induce RGC dysfunction and death, potentially though synergistic interactions among T-cell subtypes. Understanding how T-cells cause visual dysfunction following bTBI may help to develop targeted treatments to interrupt this process.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Identification of immune cell subsets involved in retinal ganglion cell damage following blast exposure
- Creators
- Matthew M Harper - Iowa City VA Health Care SystemMerri-Grace Jones - University of Iowa, Ophthalmology and Visual SciencesOliver W Gramlich - Iowa City VA Health Care SystemBenjamin W Elwood - Iowa City VA Health Care SystemNickolas A Boehme - Iowa City VA Health Care SystemNikolas Gilfanov - Iowa City VA Health Care SystemLaura M Dutca - Iowa City VA Health Care SystemMarkus H Kuehn - Iowa City VA Health Care System
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Experimental eye research, Vol.267, 110961
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.exer.2026.110961
- PMID
- 41794317
- NLM abbreviation
- Exp Eye Res
- ISSN
- 1096-0007
- eISSN
- 1096-0007
- Publisher
- Elsevier
- Grant note
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration, Office of Research and Development: 1 I01 RX003389, 1 I01 BX005855 Department of Veterans Affairs Center for the Prevention and Treatment of Visual Loss: 5I50RX003002 University of Iowa Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences
This work was supported by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration, Office of Research and Development awards 1 I01 RX003389 (MMH) , 1 I01 BX005855 (MMH) , The Department of Veterans Affairs Center for the Prevention and Treatment of Visual Loss (5I50RX003002) , and an unrestricted grant from Research to Prevent Blindness to the University of Iowa Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences. The contents of this manuscript do not necessarily represent the views of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, or the United States Government.
- Language
- English
- Electronic publication date
- 03/05/2026
- Date published
- 06/2026
- Academic Unit
- Iowa Neuroscience Institute; Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences
- Record Identifier
- 9985141989802771
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