List date(s) this work was published or aired.
15-Mar-12
Provide a brief synopsis of the story or stories, including any significant findings.
Glaucoma, long held to be a disease primarily of elevated intraocular pressure, in reality may be a disease primarily of neurodegeneration. All therapies up to now have focused on lowering pressure in the eye, which often but not always helps preserve vision, An article published in the journal Ophthalmology presents a view of glaucoma focused on the degeneration of retinal ganglion cells and their axons in the optic nerve, with an eye toward potential new therapeutic mechanisms and new therapies.Toward these ends, there are myriad pathophysiologic mechanisms to explore, including glutamate excitotoxicity, reactive oxygen species, vascular effects and ischemia, defective axonal transport, glial dysfunction, loss of neurotrophic factors and cell survival, and apoptotic mechanisms. Unraveling these intertwined factors may lead to therapies that provide neuroprotection, neuroenhancement (improved functioning of neurons), and even neuroregeneration.
Explain types of documents, data or Internet resources used. Were FOI or public records act requests required? How did this affect the work?
Journal article: published online ahead of print in Ophthalmology, Feb. 18, 2012 Chang EE, Goldberg JL. Ophthalmology 2012 May. 119(5):979-986. Glaucoma 2.0:neuroprotection, neuroregeneration, neuroenhancement.
Explain types of human sources used.
Interview with co-author Dr. Jeffrey Goldberg and expert commentary by Dr. Robert Weinreb.
Results:
None noted.
Follow-up (if any). Have you run a correction or clarification on the report or has anyone come forward to challenge its accuracy? If so, please explain.
No corrections or clarifications on the report, and no one has challenged its accuracy.
Advice to other journalists planning a similar story or project.
Be open to new hypotheses of disease mechanisms. Pick up on the implications of the proposed hypotheses and relate them to other current knowledge, for example, in this case, if glaucoma is a disease of neurodegeneration, ask how research on other neurodegenerative diseases, eg, Alzheimers, may inform possible approaches to glaucoma. Another example is how the use of biomarkers — now all the rage in clinical trials and new therapies in other fields — may help find better glaucoma therapies faster.