CNTF and retinitis pigmentosa: In preclinical mouse models of retinopathy, activation of the JAK-STAT3 pathway by the CNTFR ligand CNTF was shown to be therapeutically beneficial in blocking pathological neovascularization and led to CNTF delivered by encapsulated cell intraocular implant as an established treatment for retinitis pigmentosa and macular telangiectasia11,44–46.