Close X
Thursday, October 31, 2024
ADVT 
Health

Cure for glaucoma in sight

Darpan News Desk IANS, 13 Sep, 2014 08:30 AM
    A cure is now in sight for the dangerous eye disease glaucoma, which is a leading cause of irreversible blindness, says a new study.
     
    Glaucoma appears to be a consequence of mechanical dysfunction of endothelial cells - a thin layer of cells that is the final barrier to fluid entering Schlemm's canal, from where fluid drains from the eye
     
    "Our work shows that cells of this endothelial layer act as mechanical gates. Therapeutic strategies that alter the stiffness of these cells could potentially lead to a cure for this debilitating disease," said senior study author Mark Johnson from the Northwestern University in the US.
     
    Glaucoma is associated with elevated pressure in the eye. This elevated pressure essentially is due to a plumbing problem.
     
    Fluid builds up in the eye, increasing pressure and eventually damaging the optic nerve.
     
    For nearly 150 years, researchers have been trying to understand what causes the blockage that prevents the eye from draining properly.
     
    "The work appears to be one of the first times that the methods of mechanobiology - the study of the mechanical characteristics of cells - have been used to show that dysfunctional cell mechanics lies at the heart of a disease process," Johnson said.
     
    The findings were published in the online edition of the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).

    MORE Health ARTICLES

    Fish oil may help check seizure in epilepsy

    Fish oil may help check seizure in epilepsy
    Low doses of omega-3 fatty acids -- key component in fish oil capsules -- may help decrease the frequency of seizures for people who are...

    Fish oil may help check seizure in epilepsy

    Sex hormone is linked to autism

    Sex hormone is linked to autism
    In men suffering from Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs), lower levels of the sex hormone estrogen may be related to changes in the brain's...

    Sex hormone is linked to autism

    Fresh honey could provide alternative to antibiotics

    Fresh honey could provide alternative to antibiotics
    At a time when antibiotic resistance is increasing, researchers have found that lactic acid bacteria found in fresh honey could offer a possible...

    Fresh honey could provide alternative to antibiotics

    100 gm mango daily may cut blood sugar in obese

    100 gm mango daily may cut blood sugar in obese
    The tasty and juicy mango has just got a shot in the arm. According to research, regular consumption of the fruit by obese adults may lower blood...

    100 gm mango daily may cut blood sugar in obese

    Sleep apnoea-caused brain damage can be reversed

    Sleep apnoea-caused brain damage can be reversed
    Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy can help reverse brain damage caused by severe sleep apnoea, says a study....

    Sleep apnoea-caused brain damage can be reversed

    How sun exposure leads to skin cancers

    How sun exposure leads to skin cancers
    Connecting the dots between sun exposure and skin cancers, a study says that a genetic mutation caused by ultraviolet (UV) light is likely to be...

    How sun exposure leads to skin cancers