Adoptive transfer of immune cells from glaucomatous mice provokes retinal ganglion cell loss in recipients

INTRODUCTION: Several studies have indicated that autoimmune and neuroinflammatory processes contribute to the neurodegeneration of retinal ganglion cells in human glaucoma patients and in animal models. To test the involvement of cellular immune processes in the pathophysiology of retinal ganglion cell degeneration in vivo, we carried out adoptive transfer experiments from two independent genetic mouse models of glaucoma into normal recipient mice. RESULTS: Our findings indicate that transfer results in a progressive loss of retinal ganglion cells and their axons despite normal intraocular pressure in recipient mice. Signs of pan-retinal inflammation were not detected. Similar findings were obtained following transfer of isolated T-lymphocytes, but not after transfer of splenocytes from immune deficient glaucomatous mice. Transferred lymphocytes were detected integrated in the spleen and in the retinal ganglion cell layer of recipient animals, albeit at very low frequencies. Furthermore, we observed cell-cell interaction between transferred T-cells and recipient microglia along with focal microglial activation in recipient eyes. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that the pathophysiology of glaucomatous degeneration in the tested animal models includes T-cell mediated events that are capable of causing loss of healthy retinal ganglion cells. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s40478-015-0234-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.