Regulation of Aqueous Humor Outflow
-pdf

Glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness in developed countries and the leading cause of irreversible blindness worldwide. The most common form, primary open-angle glaucoma, is often associated with increased intraocular pressure (IOP) that develops as a result of increased resistance to outflow of aqueous humor in the conventional pathway. Today and in the foreseeable future, those with glaucoma (whether having elevated IOP or not) are managed clinically with pharmaceutical agents that control IOP. This stems from clinical trial results showing repeatedly that IOP reduction in open-angle glaucoma significantly decreases ganglion cell loss over time. Current therapies lower IOP by targeting aqueous secretion and uveoscleral outflow, two functions not responsible for elevated IOP in glaucoma. Unfortunately, the molecular and cellular mechanisms responsible for changes in conventional outflow function that result in elevated IOP are currently unknown. Lack of such knowledge is significant, because understanding the molecular mechanisms that underlie normal and abnormal regulation of outflow in the conventional pathway will facilitate the development of more effective therapies for people with glaucoma. The seminar will present and discuss current strategies for studying conventional outflow and for identifying novel drug targets for glaucoma therapy.