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Objective:

To review the current research on microglia as it relates to glaucoma, and summarize the potential microglia-targeted therapies.

Data Sources:

The data were collected from PubMed and Google Scholar databases published in English up to July 2014. Keywords used, both alone and in combination, in the database search included retinal microglia, over-activation and inhibition of microglia, and glaucoma.

Study Selection:

Articles were selected and reviewed if they involved microglia in animal models or human patients with glaucoma. Moreover, we also cited some comprehensive amalgamation of published literature.

Results:

Together with the macroglia [astrocytes, ependymal cells, oligodendrocytes, radial (Müller) cells], the microglia form the supportive tissue of the central nervous system (CNS). Glial cells are generally smaller than the neural cells, but outnumber them by a factor of 5 to 10 with marked …