Abstract
Glaucoma is the principal cause of irreversible blindness in the world. The disease leads to progressive optic nerve degeneration with a gradual loss of retinal ganglion cells. Neurodegeneration in glaucoma extends beyond the eye into the lateral geniculate nucleus and visual cortex, and the disease even shares some characteristics with other central nervous system degenerative disorders. Glaucoma destroys neurons through oxidative stress, impairment in axonal transport, neuroinflammation, and excitotoxicity. Autophagy may promote or inhibit disease progression. Currently, lowering intraocular pressure is the only way proven to delay glaucoma advancement. However, many new therapies are being developed, including antioxidants, adenosine receptor antagonists, Rho-pathway inhibitors, stem cell therapy, and neurotrophic factors. These therapies focus on neuroprotection, and they may eventually halt glaucoma progression or reverse the process of the disease itself.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 73-79 |
Number of pages | 7 |
Journal | Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine |
Volume | 89 |
Issue number | 1 |
State | Published - Mar 2016 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Glaucoma
- Intraocular pressure
- Neurodegenerative diseases
- Neuroprotection
- Stem cells
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology