SFB 1607 Funds New Cross-Disciplinary Project on Astrocyte Mitophagy in Optic Atrophies

SFB 1607 has awarded a new Crosslinking Project grant to Dr. Marta Zaninello for her project “Investigating astrocyte mitophagy and transmitophagy in optic atrophies.” The project will receive €15,000 in funding following approval by the SFB 1607 Steering Committee.

Optic atrophies such as autosomal dominant optic atrophy (ADOA) and glaucoma are characterized by progressive degeneration of retinal ganglion cells and their axons. A central hallmark of these diseases is mitochondrial dysfunction, which compromises the high metabolic demands of retinal neurons. While previous studies have highlighted mitochondrial fragmentation and astrocyte activation in these disorders, the interaction between neuronal mitochondrial stress and astrocyte responses remains insufficiently understood.

Dr. Zaninello’s project addresses this gap by investigating whether astrocytes actively protect retinal ganglion cells through mitophagy and transmitophagy — mechanisms responsible for the clearance and degradation of damaged mitochondria. The study aims to determine whether mitochondrial stress in retinal ganglion cells drives harmful neuroinflammation or instead triggers protective astrocytic responses.

The project complements ongoing neuroinflammation research within SFB 1607 by expanding the focus from neuron-centered mechanisms toward dynamic neuron-glia metabolic interactions. The generated pilot data are intended to support future applications for individual DFG funding and may contribute to the identification of novel therapeutic strategies targeting mitochondrial quality control in glaucoma and hereditary optic neuropathies.

Dr. Marta Zaninello is currently a postdoctoral researcher at the University Hospital Cologne in the laboratory of Prof. Dudanova, where she investigates mitochondrial proteostasis in axons.