Our findings characterize miR-129-5p as a pivotal molecular switch orchestrating ATRA-mediated RPE modulation. By decoupling antifibrotic activity (Ets-1 suppression) from cytoprotective signaling (HIF-1α stabilization), this miR-129-5p/HIF-1α/VEGF axis balances the attenuation of pathological fibrosis with the preservation of homeostatic survival factors for retinal integrity, providing a nuanced therapeutic approach for PVR and the associated retinal disorders.
Chang et al. (Mon,) studied this question.