Stem cell secretions may protect against glaucoma

NIH: A new study in rats shows that stem cell secretions, called exosomes, appear to protect cells in the retina, the light-sensitive tissue in the back of the eye. The findings, published in Stem Cells Translational Medicine, point to potential therapies for glaucoma, a leading cause of blindness in the United States. The study was conducted by researchers at the National Eye Institute (NEI), part of the National Institutes of Health.

10 things you should know about glaucoma

NIH: 
1. More than 2.7 million Americans over age 40 have glaucoma. That number is estimated to more than double by 2050. Though glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness in developed countries, increased awareness and ongoing research may reduce the health burden of glaucoma.
2. Anyone can develop glaucoma. Though it’s more common in people over the age of 45, babies and children can get a rare form of early onset glaucoma. The following groups are at higher risk of glaucoma:

• African Americans over age 40
• People over age 60, especially Mexican Americans
• People with a family history of glaucoma

Future of glaucoma treatment lies in tiny tube, implanted in the eye, to preserve vision.

Ann Arbor: In a first for glaucoma treatment, the University of Michigan Kellogg Eye Center has used a tiny tube, implanted in the eye, to preserve vision. The XEN® Gel Stent creates an opening between the inside of the eye – called the anterior chamber – and the eye’s outer layer to allow fluid to drain, potentially decreasing pressure in the eye. This helps preserve vision by reducing intraocular pressure to a normal level. It’s a new way to treat glaucoma performed this week by glaucoma specialist Manjool Shah, M.D.,  and part of the advent of minimally invasive glaucoma surgery (MIGS) devices to help adults with mild-to-moderate glaucoma.

Stem cell secretions may protect against glaucoma

NIH: A new study in rats shows that stem cell secretions, called exosomes, appear to protect cells in the retina, the light-sensitive tissue in the back of the eye. The findings, published in Stem Cells Translational Medicine, point to potential therapies for glaucoma, a leading cause of blindness in the United States. The study was conducted by researchers at the National Eye Institute (NEI), part of the National Institutes of Health. Exosomes are tiny membrane-enclosed packages that form inside of cells before getting expelled. Long thought of as part of a cellular disposal system, scientists have more recently discovered that exosomes are packed with proteins, lipids and gene-regulating RNA. Studies have shown that exosomes from one cell can be taken up by another by fusing with the target cell’s membrane, spurring it to make new proteins. Exosomes also facilitate cell-to-cell interactions and play a signaling role, prompting research into their potential therapeutic effect.

Explainer: what is glaucoma, the ‘sneak thief’ of sight?

TheConversation: If you’re one of the millions of Australians who regularly see an optometrist, you’re probably familiar with having your eye pressure checked as part of a comprehensive eye examination. This is a basic screening test for glaucoma, an eye disease that is the second leading cause of blindness worldwide (after cataracts). It affected more than 57.5 million people in 2015 and this figure is projected to rise to 65.5 million people in 2020. Glaucoma affects some 150,000 people in Australia. Worryingly, 50% of cases remain undiagnosed and untreated and a significant number of people don’t even know what glaucoma is.

Metformin Use Associated with Reduced Risk of Developing Open-Angle Glaucoma

JAMA: Taking the medication metformin hydrochloride was associated with reduced risk of developing the sight-threatening disease open-angle glaucoma in people with diabetes, according to a study published online by JAMA Ophthalmology. Medications that mimic caloric restriction such as metformin can reduce the risk of some late age-onset disease. It is unknown whether these caloric mimetic drugs affect the risk of age-associated eye diseases such as macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, cataract or glaucoma.

First Study on Haitian-American Glaucoma Rates Stresses Need for Awareness and Screening to Prevent Vision Loss

Bascom Palmer. US: Physicians at the University of Miami’s Bascom Palmer Eye Institute and medical students at the Miller School of Medicine have been the first to publish data on the prevalence of glaucoma in the Haitian-American population. Their findings, based on data from 750 participants, show that nearly 26 percent of Haitian-Americans have signs and symptoms for various stages of glaucoma.

Early Retina Cell Changes in Glaucoma Identified

UCSD. US: Mouse study points to the specific structural features and cell types in the retina that may act as key factors in glaucoma progression.

Surgical interventions for childhood glaucoma

Cochrane: This review compared the effects of different surgeries for primary congenital glaucoma (PCG). No conclusions could be drawn from the trials included in this review due to paucity of data. More research is needed to determine which of the many surgeries performed for PCG are effective.