Glaucoma is one of the most common causes of blindness worldwide. This multifactorial, neurodegenerative disease is defined as a progressive optic neuropathy with increased intraocular pressure (IOP), pathological alterations of the optic nerve head, gradual retinal ganglion cell death, and visual field loss. The disease not only affects the retina, as part of the central nervous system, but glaucoma associated neurodegeneration has been noted in the intracranial optic nerves, the lateral geniculate nucleus as well as in the visual cortex.
The importance of this disease will increase significantly in the coming years due to aging. Unfortunately, glaucoma can remain asymptomatic until it is rather far progressed, hence about 10-50% of patients are unaware they suffer from this disease. Although the elevated IOP is the main risk factor, the complexity of glaucoma makes diagnosis and therapies a challenge. Over the last years, several additional pathomechanisms that likely contribute to glaucoma have been discussed. In addition to mechanical stress, excitotoxicity, vascular dysregulation, oxidative stress, and immune system alterations, far more factors might be responsible for glaucomatous damage. The encoding of the underlying pathomechanisms is an urgent need to find more tools to improve the diagnostic process and to identify new and/or additional therapies.
This Research Topic aims to bring together leading researchers to exchange and share their findings on the basic research as well as on the newest bench to bedside knowledge regarding glaucoma disease.
We welcome basic researchers, clinical scientists as well as clinicians to submit either original research or reviews regarding the following, but not limited to, topics:
- The role of the immune system in glaucoma
- Evidence of oxidative stress damage in glaucoma
- Association between systemic/ocular perfusion pressure, and the prevalence of glaucoma
- New insights into mRNA research related to glaucoma
- The role of excitotoxicity in glaucoma
- Bench to bedside research
Glaucoma is one of the most common causes of blindness worldwide. This multifactorial, neurodegenerative disease is defined as a progressive optic neuropathy with increased intraocular pressure (IOP), pathological alterations of the optic nerve head, gradual retinal ganglion cell death, and visual field loss. The disease not only affects the retina, as part of the central nervous system, but glaucoma associated neurodegeneration has been noted in the intracranial optic nerves, the lateral geniculate nucleus as well as in the visual cortex.
The importance of this disease will increase significantly in the coming years due to aging. Unfortunately, glaucoma can remain asymptomatic until it is rather far progressed, hence about 10-50% of patients are unaware they suffer from this disease. Although the elevated IOP is the main risk factor, the complexity of glaucoma makes diagnosis and therapies a challenge. Over the last years, several additional pathomechanisms that likely contribute to glaucoma have been discussed. In addition to mechanical stress, excitotoxicity, vascular dysregulation, oxidative stress, and immune system alterations, far more factors might be responsible for glaucomatous damage. The encoding of the underlying pathomechanisms is an urgent need to find more tools to improve the diagnostic process and to identify new and/or additional therapies.
This Research Topic aims to bring together leading researchers to exchange and share their findings on the basic research as well as on the newest bench to bedside knowledge regarding glaucoma disease.
We welcome basic researchers, clinical scientists as well as clinicians to submit either original research or reviews regarding the following, but not limited to, topics:
- The role of the immune system in glaucoma
- Evidence of oxidative stress damage in glaucoma
- Association between systemic/ocular perfusion pressure, and the prevalence of glaucoma
- New insights into mRNA research related to glaucoma
- The role of excitotoxicity in glaucoma
- Bench to bedside research
