Evaluating New Strategies for Canine Glaucoma

Glaucoma is a leading and painful cause of blindness in dogs. Currently available interventions only delay blindness, highlighting the need for new and efficient therapies that preserve sight in affected animals. Loss of vision in glaucoma is due to death of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs), which is the result of destructive processes linked to a gradual loss of mitochondrial functions - the powerhouses of cells. This leads to a decrease in the RGCs’ energy supply, and also increases the production of damaging and harmful substances that provoke cell death. To help solve this issue, researchers will study novel molecules associated with mitochondrial stress in the canine patients’ eyes to learn more about mitochondrial-associated RGC death. The team also will evaluate the potential of a novel therapy, replacing defective mitochondria with their healthy counterparts to improve retinal function in affected dogs to help slow or stop RGC damage. Together, these studies will pave the way for the development of early detection methods and improved treatments for this serious, degenerative eye disorder in dogs.