眼血管性疾病逐渐成为我国重大的不可逆性致盲眼病。本课题组围绕视网膜血管性疾病的神经源性因素及机制进行了长期系列研究，发现神经生长因子(NGF)可促进视网膜新生血管形成及介导胶质细胞的功能。基于前期研究基础和当前"神经血管单元"的研究进展，我们提出新的假说：NGF不仅有神经保护和促新生血管作用，还可能具备血管保护作用；在特定的神经血管单元微环境下，Muller细胞可释放NGF，活化血管内皮细胞TrkA受体或P75受体，并通过对Notch或其他潜在信号通路的调控，发挥促进血管存活或血管生长的不同效应。Notch 信号通路可能是NGF发挥血管保护及促血管生长的关键调控机制。本项目将应用体外培养视网膜血管内皮及神经胶质细胞，多种视网膜血管损伤动物模型，基因干扰及蛋白芯片等方法探索NGF的血管保护作用及机制，以期开拓NGF新的生物学功能，拓展对血管性疾病的神经源性机制的认识，为疾病的治疗提供新策略。

Ocular vascular disorders are becoming the leading cause of irreversible blindness in our country. We have focused on a series of studies in the long-terrn to explore the neuronal driven angiogenesis in retinal neovascularization Our previous studies have revealed the important role of nerve growth factor (NGF) and retinal glia in promoting retinal neovascularization Based on our previous studies and the concept of "neurovascular unit"，we are proposing a new hypothesis, that NGF may have vascular protective effect besides its neuroprotective function. NGF released by Muller cells in special neurovascular microenvironment , may bind and activate receptor TrkA or P75 in vascular endothelial cells to promote vascular survival or growth, which may be regulated through Notch signaling pathway or other potential unknown signals. We believe that Notch is probably a key signaling pathway through which NGF function differentially by participating either vessel protection or angiogenesis. Our project will explore the novel role and the related mechanisms of NGF in retinal vascular protection via various approaches, including the culturing retinal endothelial cells and glia in vitro, establishing multiple animal models of retinal vascular injury, and applying gene manipulating techniques and so on, This study aims to explore new biological function of NGF and may provide novel strategies in treating retinal vascular disorders.