Abstract: Retinal ganglion cells（RGCs） is the mainly damaged cells in glaucoma and retinal diseases.  As a part of central nervous system,RGCs death often leads to irreversible  damage of visual function.  Recently, neuroscience researchers focused on minocycline and its neuroprotective effect. Minocycline is a secondgeneration, semisynthetic tetracycline. Besides its broadspectrum antibacterial effect, minocycline was proved to have the ability to protect against neuron cell damage through mechanisms of antioxidation, antiapoptosis, and inhibition the activation of microglia. More and more studies suggested that minocycline can also protect RGCs and has treatment potential in optic nerve injury, glaucoma, and various retinal diseases. This article reviews the neuroprotective effect of  minocycline on RGCs and its mechanism.  (Int Rev Ophthalmol, 2013, 37: 349-354)