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Dryad

miRNAs in primary open-angle glaucoma and ocular hypertension

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May 29, 2023 version files 69.62 KB

Abstract

Glaucoma is a chronic neurodegenerative disease, which is the leading cause of irreversible blindness worldwide. As a response to high intraocular pressure, the clinical and molecular glaucoma biomarkers indicate the biological state of the visual system. Classical and uncovering novel biomarkers of glaucoma development and progression, follow-up, and monitoring the response to treatment are key objectives to improve vision outcomes. While the glaucoma imaging field has successfully validated biomarkers of disease progression, there is still a considerable need for developing new biomarkers of early glaucoma, that is, at the preclinical and initial glaucoma stages. Outstanding clinical trials and animal-model study designs, innovative technology, and analytical approaches in bioinformatics are essential tools to successfully uncover novel glaucoma biomarkers with a high potential for translation into clinical practice. To better understand the clinical and biochemical–molecular–genetic glaucoma pathogenesis, we conducted an analytical, observational, and case-comparative/control study in 358 primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) patients and 226 comparative-control individuals to collect tears, aqueous humor, and blood to process for identifying POAG biomarkers by exploring several biological pathways, such as inflammation, neurotransmitter/neurotrophin alteration, oxidative stress, gene expression, miRNAs fingerprint and its biological targets, and vascular endothelial dysfunction. We are incredibly enthusiastic about gathering as much information as possible on POAG biomarkers to learn how this information can be used to better steer the diagnosis and therapy of glaucoma to prevent blindness in the predictable future.