Loss of neurofibromin induces inflammatory macrophage phenotypic switch and retinal neovascularization via GLUT1 activation.

Summary: People with a condition called NF1 often have tumors and changes in how their bodies use sugar. Scientists wanted to know how this affects special immune cells called macrophages. They found that a protein missing in NF1 usually acts like a brake to stop sugar from entering these cells. Without this brake, too much sugar rushes in. This sugar rush changes the immune cells, making them cause unwanted new blood vessels to grow in the eye. Understanding this sugar switch could help doctors find new ways to treat NF1 in the future.