Hyperoxia inhibits proliferation of retinal endothelial cells in Myc dependent manner

Oxygen supplementation is necessary to prevent mortality of severely premature infants. However, the supraphysiological concentration of oxygen utilized in these infants simultaneously creates retinovascular growth attenuation and vasoobliteration that induces retinopathy of prematurity. Here, we report that hyperoxia regulates the cell cycle and retinal endothelial cell proliferation in a previously unknown Myc dependent manner which contributes to oxygen-induced retinopathy.