An Effective Tool for Understanding Dysfunctional Eye Drainage in Glaucoma

The project aim is to develop an effective lab model for research into eye drainage dysfunction in glaucoma and for testing candidate treatments.

The most important risk factor in glaucoma is high pressure inside the eye from fluid that cannot properly drain away. Gaining a better understanding of this process is crucial for identifying new treatment targets in glaucoma. But lab models of the condition have several disadvantages that interfere with sorting out factors in fluid buildup.

The current method for measuring mouse eye outflow facility uses either living mice or enucleated mouse eyes. Both methods require the insertion of a fine needle into the mouse eyes, keep it in place, and elimination of any leakage for many hours, which is very challenging. The method to be developed in this proposal is much easier: it uses the anterior half of the mouse eye, and does not require the described procedures.

To address this problem, Weiming Mao, PhD, and his team are developing a lab model that overcomes these disadvantages. The researchers expect their work to yield a novel tool that makes studying this drainage system in the eye much more straightforward. Such a tool will support scientists in better understanding how glaucoma develops and offer a way to test candidate treatments.