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Editors Selection IGR 11-1

Basic research: Optic nerve head: Novel model

Comment by Christopher Girkin on:

18180 Connective tissue structure of the tree shrew optic nerve and associated ageing changes, Albon J; Farrant S; Akhtar S et al., Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science, 2007; 48: 2134-2144

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Albon et al. (497) recently published their work describing the connective tissue structure and theeffects of aging on the connective tissue of the tree shrew optic nerve. The tree shrew, Tupaia belangeri, was once classified as a primate due to many morphologic and reproductive similarities. While it is now classified as a primitive insectivore is still shows show relationships to the primate in terms of brain and eye morphology and neurophysiology with good central acuity and widely used to study myopia. These similarities extend to some degree to the structure of the lamina cribrosa and a similar functionally segregated populations of retinal ganglion cells, which raises interest in the use of these animals as a novel model for glaucoma.

Changes that occur in the lamina cribrosa of the tree shrew eye may have particular relevance to aging changes with the optic nerve head with regard to potential increased vulnerability to glaucomatous injury

This study demonstrated the similarity between the connective tissue composition in the tree shrew lamina to that of higher primates. Additionally, while the number of animals examined was small there results suggest that there may be age-related increase in the imunoreactivity for collagens and elastin. Since one of the critical risk factors in the development of glaucoma is advancing age which can have a myriad of potential pathogenic effects, Albon's study describing these changes that occur in the lamina cribrosa of the tree shrew eye with age may have particular relevance to aging changes with the optic nerve head with regard to potential increased vulnerability to glaucomatous injury within the context of this model.

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