Selected Publications

Bastola T, Kim KY, Shen Z, Perkins GA, Poudel M, Gomez V, Lim Y, Choi H, Won JY, Choi SH, Ellisman MH, Weinreb RN, Ju WK. AKAP1 regulates mitochondrial and synaptic homeostasis to enable neuroprotection and repair in retinal ganglion cell degeneration. bioRxiv [Preprint]. 2025 Nov 27:2025.11.24.689866. doi: 10.1101/2025.11.24.689866.

Ju WK, Kim KY, Bastola T, Shen Z, Choi S, Perkins GA, Hwang S, Kim J, Kwon JW, Poudel M, Phan S, Xia F, Shi S, Cho H, Liu H, Zhang W, Weinreb RN, Ellisman MH, Miller YI, Choi SH. Restoring AIBP expression in the retina provides neuroprotection in glaucoma. Mol Ther. 2025 May 9:S1525-0016(25)00379-X.

Choi S, Choi SH, Bastola T, Kim KY, Park S, Weinreb RN, Miller YI, Ju WK. AIBP Protects Müller Glial Cells Against Oxidative Stress-Induced Mitochondrial Dysfunction and Reduces Retinal Neuroinflammation. Antioxidants (Basel). 2024 Oct 17;13(10):1252.

Kim YS, Choi SH, Kim KY, Navia-Pelaez JM, Perkins GA, Choi S, Kim J, Nazarenkov N, Rissman RA, Ju WK, Ellisman MH, Miller YI. AIBP controls TLR4 inflammarafts and mitochondrial dysfunction in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease. J Neuroinflammation. 2024 Sep 28;21(1):245.

Hwang S, Choi S, Choi SH, Kim KY, Miller YI, Ju WK. Apolipoprotein A-I binding protein-mediated neuroprotection in glaucomatous neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration. Neural Regen Res. 2025 May 1;20(5):1414-1415.

Bastola T, Perkins GA, Huu VAN, Ju S, Kim KY, Shen Z, Skowronska-Krawczyk D, Weinreb RN, Ju WK. Administration of Bicarbonate Protects Mitochondria, Rescues Retinal Ganglion Cells, and Ameliorates Visual Dysfunction Caused by Oxidative Stress. Antioxidants (Basel). 2024 Jun 19;13(6):743.

Choi S, Choi SH, Bastola T, Park Y, Oh J, Kim KY, Hwang S, Miller YI, Ju WK. AIBP: A New Safeguard against Glaucomatous Neuroinflammation. Cells. 2024 Jan 21;13(2):198.

Bastola T, Perkins GA, Kim KY, Choi S, Kwon JW, Shen Z, Strack S, Ju WK. Role of A-Kinase Anchoring Protein 1 in Retinal Ganglion Cells: Neurodegeneration and Neuroprotection. Cells. 2023 Jun 3;12(11):1539.

Ju WK, Perkins GA, Kim KY, Bastola T, Choi WY, Choi SH. Glaucomatous optic neuropathy: Mitochondrial dynamics, dysfunction and protection in retinal ganglion cells. Prog Retin Eye Res. 2023 Jul;95:101136.

Choi SH, Kim KY, Perkins GA, Sebastien Phan, Edwards G, Xia Y, Kim J, Skowronska-Krawczyk S, Weinreb RN, Ellisman MH, Miller, YI, Ju WK. (2020). AIBP protects retinal ganglion cells against neuroinflammation and mitochondrial dysfunction in glaucomatous neurodegeneration. Redox Biology. 37:101703.

Edwards G, Lee Y, Kim M, Bhanvadia S, Kim KY, Ju WK. (2020). Effect of ubiquinol on glaucomatous neurodegeneration and oxidative stress: Studies for retinal ganglion cell survival and/or visual function. Antioxidants. 9:E952.

Edwards G, Perkins GA, Kim KY, Kong YE, Lee YH, Choi SH, Liu Y, Skowronska-Krawczyk S, Weinreb RN, Ju WK. (2020). Loss of AKAP1 triggers Drp1 dephosphorylation-mediated mitochondrial fission and loss in retinal ganglion cells. Cell Death and Disease. 11:254.

Ju WK, Shim MS, Kim KY, Park TL, Ahn S, Edwards G, Weinreb RN. (2019). Inhibition of cAMP/PKA pathway protects optic nerve head astrocytes against oxidative stress by Akt/Bax phosphorylation-mediated Mfn1/2 oligomerization. Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity. 2019:8060962.

Shim MS, Kim KY, Bu JH, Nam HS, Jeong SW, Park TL, Ellisman MH, Weinreb RN, Ju WK. (2018). Elevated intracellular cAMP exacerbates vulnerability to oxidative stress in optic nerve head astrocytes. Cell Death and Disease. 9:285.

Shim MS, Takihara Y, Kim KY, Iwata T, Yue BYJT, Inatani M, Weinreb RN, Perkins GA, Ju WK. (2016). Mitochondrial pathogenic mechanism and degradation in optineurin E50K mutation-mediated retinal ganglion cell degeneration. Scientific Reports. 6:33830.

Kim KY, Perkins GA, Shim MS, Bushong E, Alcasid N, Ju S, Ellisman MH, Weinreb RN, Ju WK. (2015). DRP1 inhibition recues retinal ganglion cells and their axons by preserving mitochondrial integrity in a mouse model of glaucoma. Cell Death and Disease. 6:e1839.

Ju WK, Kim KY, Noh YH, Hoshijima M, Lukas TJ, Ellisman MH, Weinreb RN, Perkins GA (2015). Increased mitochondrial fission and volume density by blocking glutamate excitotoxicity protect glaucomatous optic nerve head astrocytes. Glia. 63(5):736-753.

Lee D, Shim MS, Kim KY, Noh YH, Kim H, Kim SY, Weinreb RN, Ju WK. (2014) Coenzyme Q10 Inhibits Glutamate excitotoxicity- and oxidative stress-mediated mitochondrial alteration in a mouse model of glaucoma. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 55,993-1005.

Noh YH, Kim KY, Shim MS, Choi SH, Ellisman MH, Perkins GA, Weinreb RN, Ju WK. (2013) Inhibition of oxidative stress by coenzyme Q10 increases mitochondrial mass and improves bioenergetic function in optic nerve head astrocytes. Cell Death and Disease. 4:e820.

Nguyen D, Alavi MV, Kim KY, Kang T, Scott RT, Noh YH, Lindsey JD, Wissinger B, Ellisman MH, Weinreb RN, Perkins GA, Ju WK. (2011) A new vicious cycle involving glutamate excitotoxicity, oxidative stress and mitochondrial dynamics. Cell Death and Disease. 2:e240.

Ju WK, Kim KY, Lindsey JD, Duong-Polk KX, Ellisman MH, Weinreb RN. (2010) Increased OPA1 Expression Protects Retinal Ganglion Cells in a Mouse Model of Glaucoma. Mol Vis 16, 1331-1342.

Ju WK, Kim KY, Lindsey JD, Angert M, Duong-Polk KX, Scott RT, Kim JJ, Kukhmazov J, Ellisman MH, Perkins GA, Weinreb RN. (2008) Intraocular pressure elevation induces mitochondrial fission and triggers OPA1 release in glaucomatous optic nerve. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 49, 4903-4911.

Ju WK, Misaka T, Kushnareva Y, Nakagomi S, Agarwal N, Kubo Y, Lipton SA, Bossy-Wetzel E. (2005) OPA1 expression in the normal rat retinal and optic nerve. J Comp Neurol 488,1-10.

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