advertisement
Abstract #91135 Published in IGR 21-4
Potential roles of astrocytes and Müller cells in the pathogenesis of glaucoma
Shinozaki Y; Koizumi SJournal of Pharmacological Sciences 2021; 145: 262-267
Glaucoma, a progressive optic neuropathy and the leading cause of blindness, is characterized by impairment or degeneration of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs), which transmit visual information to the brain. Currently, 70 million people worldwide are affected by glaucoma. Elevated intraocular pressure (IOP), a major risk factor of glaucoma, directly damages RGCs. However, a substantial proportion of glaucoma patients have a normal IOP level. In particular, over 90% of Japanese glaucoma patients are reported to have normal IOP levels. Thus, a new focus for glaucoma pathology has emerged. Glial cells contribute to tissue homeostasis. Under pathological conditions, glial cells become reactive, lose their homeostatic functions, and gain neurotoxic functions, which trigger neurodegeneration in several diseases including glaucoma. Reactive glial cells have been identified in the eyes of glaucoma patients. In a glaucoma animal model, reactive glial cells are observed at early stages of the disease when RGCs are intact, indicating the possible role of glial cells in the pathogenesis of glaucoma. In this review, we introduce potential roles of glial cells in the pathogenesis of glaucoma. We focus on the roles of the ocular macroglial cells such as astrocytes and Müller cells, and discuss their roles in the pathogenesis of glaucoma.
Department of Neuropharmacology, Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Medicine, University of Yamanashi, Yamanashi, Japan; Interdisciplinary Brain-Immune Research Center, Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Medicine, University of Yamanashi, Yamanashi, Japan.
Full articleClassification:
3.9 Pathophysiology (Part of: 3 Laboratory methods)
3.6 Cellular biology (Part of: 3 Laboratory methods)
2.13 Retina and retinal nerve fibre layer (Part of: 2 Anatomical structures in glaucoma)
