Pretty cool. Scientists want to grow new canals for drainage to cure cases of glaucoma in the near future. Northwestern Medicine scientists have discovered a novel cause of glaucoma in an animal model, and related to their findings, are now developing an eye drop aimed at curing the glaucoma. The new study for the first time identifies the molecular building blocks needed to make the ‘drainage’ vessels, providing the necessary chemical tools to repair the eye’s plumbing and restore normal drainage. Up until now, the molecular basis of the disease caused by an absent or defective canal was unknown. - See more at: northwestern.edu/newscenter/stories/2014/09/new-glaucoma-cause-discovered.html#sthash.rzdU0Hv0.dpuf Quaggin is director of the Feinberg Cardiovascular Research Institute at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and chief of nephrology and hypertension at Feinberg and Northwestern Memorial Hospital. “Our goal now is to grow new ‘pipes’ or vessels to cure the glaucoma,” said Quaggin, also the Charles Mayo Chair of Medicine at Feinberg. The findings are based on a new mouse model of glaucoma developed by Quaggin and Ph.D. student Ben Thomson, which is one of the first animal models of the disease. Quaggin expects the animal findings to be relevant in human glaucoma. Quaggin is collaborating with Amani Fawzi, M.D., an associate professor of ophthalmology, and Xiaorong Liu, an assistant professor of ophthalmology, both at Feinberg, and Northwestern scientist Samuel Stupp to develop a nanofiber eye drop that activates regrowth of the clogged vessel. “We are developing a highly potent peptide nanostructure that has the capacity to interact with many receptors at the same time,” Stupp said. “This will amplify the required signaling pathway for an effective therapy. The nanostructure is also being designed to have the necessary half-life to optimize efficacy.” He is the Board of Trustees Professor of Chemistry, Materials Science and Engineering, and Medicine, and director of the Simpson Querrey Institute for BioNanotechnology. “Just imagine if we could grow a bigger Schlemm’s canal in anybody with glaucoma to lower the pressure in the eye,” Quaggin said. “That’s what we’re hoping for with this new eye drop.” See more at: northwestern.edu/newscenter/stories/2014/09/new-glaucoma-cause-discovered.html#sthash.rzdU0Hv0.dpuf
Posted on: Mon, 15 Sep 2014 02:31:21 +0000
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