Evidence indicates that β-Sitosterol and stigmasterol could protect RGCs from apoptosis in open-angle glaucoma by modulating p53 signalling, reducing Bax/Bcl-2 ratio, and inhibiting caspase-3/9 activation, demonstrating therapeutic potential in retinal degeneration (Wang et al., 2025; Yu et al., 2022; Yang et al., 2025). The gene discussed is BAX; the disease is open-angle glaucoma.