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Ciliary Neurotrophic Factor human has been used to study its effect on photoreceptor neuroprotection and Muller glial cell proliferation in zebrafish retina. It has also been used to study the effects of intravitreal injection of ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) on photoreceptor injury and BRB (blood-retinal barrier) breakdown in transgenic model.

The CNTF (ciliary neurotrophic factor) gene encodes a cytokine, and is mapped to human chromosome 11q12.1.

Ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) was first identified as a survival factor for neurons from the ciliary ganglion of chicken embryos. Most of its known actions are restricted to cells of the nervous system, including motor neurons, sympathetic ganglion neurons, sensory neurons, hippocampal neurons, and medial septal neurons. CNTF also prevents degeneration of motor axons after axotomy and promotes astrocyte differentiation and oligodendrocyte survival and maturation. Outside the nervous system, CNTF maintains embryonic stem cells in an undifferentiated, pluripotent state. CNTF is structurally related to leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF), interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-11 (IL-11) and oncostatin M (OSM). CNTF exerts its actions through the activation of the high-affinity CTNF receptor complex, which contains the ligand-binding α-subunit (CNTF Rα) and two signal transducing β-subunits (LIF Rβ and gp130). The LIF Rβ subunit is also shared by receptors for LIF and OSM. The gp130 subunit is also shared by receptors for LIF, OSM, IL-6, and IL-11. CNTF is localized in the cell nucleus subsequent to receptor binding. Human and rat CNTF share ~83% sequence homology and show cross-reactivity in bioactivity.