PANoptosis of Retinal Ganglion Cells

PANoptosis represents a novel form of programmed cell death regulated and controlled by the PANoptosome. It encompasses the essential features of apoptosis, necroptosis, and pyroptosis and combines elements from each process. PANoptosis contributes to the development of various diseases, including bacterial and viral infections, tumors, inflammatory diseases, and neurodegenerative diseases, which offers insights into the pathological mechanisms of these diseases and potential treatments. Retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) are nerve cells located in the final segment of the retina, which belongs to the central nervous system. The loss of RGCs caused by various diseases cannot be reversed. Consequently, safeguarding RGCs from loss is a crucial goal in the treatment of diseases that cause RGCs death (such as trauma, glaucoma, and diabetic retinopathy). Research on the multiple modes of death of RGCs has made some progress and, recently, PANoptosis has been observed during the death of RGCs in different models. In this article, we first give an overview of PANoptosis and summarize the fundamental mechanisms and crosstalk between apoptosis, necroptosis, and pyroptosis, as well as the characteristics of these three modes of cell death that occur in RGCs. Finally, we discuss the current status of research on PANoptosis in neurons and RGCs to establish a theoretical basis for the mechanism of PANoptosis as a novel target for safeguarding RGCs from loss.