Glaucoma is a disease associated with too high pressure in the eye that eventually damages the optic nerve fibers and the retina, causing progressive loss of vision. This pathology is due to a blockage of the passage of cells in the canal of Schlemm. This channel allows the drainage of aqueous humor, a liquid that protects the lens and nourishes the cornea.
Researchers at Northwestern University believe they have discovered the origin of this “plumbing” problem associated with high pressure and the onset of glaucoma. In the scientific journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), they point to the real culprit: it is in fact a mechanical dysfunction of the endothelial cells located in a thin layer at the entrance to the Schlemm canal. This failure would disrupt the normal circulation of “eye fluid”. In glaucoma, these cells become more rigid than normal cells. This rigidity would prevent the cells from deforming and allowing the aqueous humor to pass normally through Schlemm’s duct. It is therefore this resistance of the flow that would explain the occurrence of glaucoma according to the researchers.
While there is no treatment to cure glaucoma, this discovery could constitute a lead to fight against this disease. “Our study shows that endothelial cells act as automatic gates. Therapeutic strategies capable of modifying these cells could potentially lead to treatment for this eye condition,” the study concludes.
