Glaucoma Research Advances Highlighted at Boston Meeting
BOSTON, MA – Cutting-edge research into theโ immuneโ systemS โฃrole โขin glaucoma progression took centre stage at the โขCollaborativeโข Catalyst for a โCure (CFC) meeting held recently in Boston. Scientists presentedโ breakthroughs identifying novel immune cells at the optic nerve head and uncovering new connectionsโ between brain and eye diseases, fueling optimism for future therapies to combat the leading cause of โขpreventable blindness.
Glaucoma affects millions โworldwide, progressivelyโ damaging the optic nerveโข andโ leading toโค vision loss. Currently, โฃtreatments primarily focus on managing intraocular pressure, but a cure remainsโข elusive. The CFC, a research initiative, aims to accelerate the growth of neuroprotective and regenerative therapies. This โคyear’s meeting showcased meaningful strides toward that goal,โข withโฃ findings suggesting that โcells โlocated near bloodโฃ vessels exhibit increased resistance to cell death – a crucial observation โfor potential therapeutic interventions.
Drs.Jeffrey Goldberg andโข Adriana Di Polo, Chairs of the CFC Scientific Advisory Board, expressed strong encouragement regarding the โadvancements presented by theโ CFC4 team – Drs. Sandro Da Mesquita, Milica Margeta, Karthik Shekhar, and Humsa Venkatesh. “These breakthroughs highlight how immune and glial cell dysregulation contribute to โคvision โloss in glaucoma and related disorders,” Dr.Di Polo stated. “Moast importantly, they bring us closerโฃ to therapies โthat slow disease progression and protectโข sight.”
Dr. Goldberg echoed this sentiment, noting the “remarkable” progress building onโฃ the work of โCFC3. “The team has pushed โresearch on neuroprotection and โขregeneration inโค glaucoma pre-clinical models to new frontiers,” he said. “The prospects for translating these discoveriesโค to human therapies has never โbeen more compelling.”
The research is supported by theโค Glaucoma Researchโ Foundation (GRF),a national non-profit organization established in 1978. To date, GRF hasโ invested โขoverโข $90 million in glaucoma research, โfunding studies worldwide to improve understanding, detection, and treatment of the disease. GRF serves as a leadingโฃ resource for patients and families impacted by glaucoma.