T-Cell Immune Responses Drive Neurodegeneration in Glaucoma
08/17/2018
T-cell immune responses are partly responsible for progressive neurodegeneration in glaucoma, researchers report.
“Current treatment of glaucoma is almost all focused on reducing intraocular pressure (IOP) and amelioration of symptoms,” Dr. Jianzhu Chen from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, in Cambridge, told Reuters Health by email. “Our finding opens the possibility for mechanism-based prevention and/or treatment, such as by targeting the autoreactive T cells in the retina.”
Besides IOP elevation, glaucoma is associated with upregulation of heat shock proteins (HSP) and induction of anti-HSP autoimmune responses. The relative roles of these components in progressive neurodegeneration remain unknown.