Mechanisms of Angle Development and Glaucoma

Using a mouse model of early-onset glaucoma, we aim to understand the development of eye structures responsible for maintaining eye pressure.

Glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness in the United States and affects nearly 80 million people worldwide. Glaucoma results from increased pressure in the eye. Drainage structures in the eye regulate this pressure. In several cases of glaucoma and especially early-onset glaucoma, drainage structures are affected. To address this, we need to understand the genetics of drainage structure development. We have developed a mouse model of early-onset glaucoma. Using this mouse model and modern imaging methods, we will determine how drainage structures develop. We will also determine the mechanism through which abnormalities in drainage tissue cause early-onset glaucoma using modern molecular tools. A mechanistic understanding will lead to the development of new treatment targets for early-onset glaucoma.

We will provide the first genome-wide molecular characterization of normal drainage structure development by combining use of a genetic mouse model, high resolution 3-D imaging, and single cell transcriptomics.

Outcomes of this study will provide a cellular level detail of the molecular control of ocular drainage structure development. This foundational information will contribute to the development of therapeutic targets for treatment of different types of glaucoma.