Unveiling Key Genes Modulating Retinal Cell Survival and Autophagy in Glaucoma

Glaucoma is a leading cause of irreversible blindness, with rising incidence globally. Effective treatment is challenging due to limited understanding of the disease mechanisms. Growth factor activity is crucial in glaucoma, with potential to reduce retinal ganglion cell (RGC) apoptosis and slow disease progression. This study aims to identify and analyze differentially expressed genes (DEGs) involved in growth factor activity to uncover new therapeutic targets. We analyzed the GSE9944 dataset from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) to identify DEGs associated with glaucoma, resulting in 94 DEGs, including 29 down-regulated and 65 up-regulated genes. Functional enrichment and protein-protein interaction (PPI) network analyses were conducted using bioinformatics tools, highlighting the roles of Bone Morphogenetic Protein 1 (BMP1), Pleiotrophin (PTN), and f fibroblast Growth Factor 7 (FGF7). Aberrant expression vectors for these genes were transfected into RGCs derived from a glaucoma model to evaluate their impact on cell viability, apoptosis, and autophagy. Bioinformatics analysis of the GSE9944 dataset identified 94 DEGs, with 29 down-regulated and 65 up-regulated genes. Functional enrichment analysis revealed that these DEGs were involved in pathways related to growth factor activity, apoptosis, and autophagy, processes highly relevant to glaucoma pathogenesis. PPI network analysis identified BMP1, PTN, and FGF7 as central hub genes involved in extracellular matrix organization and growth factor signaling. In experimental validation using RGCs, we found that up-regulation of BMP1 significantly enhanced RGC viability and reduced apoptosis. Conversely, silencing PTN and FGF7 provided protective effects, enhancing RGC survival. Silencing BMP1 and upregulating PTN and FGF7 led to increased RGC apoptosis. Additionally, BMP1 was found to inhibit autophagy in RGCs, whereas PTN and FGF7 promoted autophagic activity, suggesting differential regulatory roles in glaucoma pathogenesis. Overall, BMP1, PTN, and FGF7 play critical roles in the regulation of RGC activity and autophagy in glaucoma, making them promising molecular targets for future therapeutic interventions.