Saving the nerve from glaucoma: memantine to caspaces.
Three recent discoveries regarding the pathophysiology of human glaucoma are that retinal ganglion cells die by apoptosis, that nitric oxide synthase levels are altered, and that glutamate is elevated in the vitreous. These findings provide encouraging new avenues for the development of neuroprotective strategies to alleviate ganglion cell loss and blindness that accompanies this disease. In this article, we discuss some of these data, as well as potential therapies that may arise from these findings.
Naskar
R
R
Scheie Eye Institute, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
Vorwerk
C K
CK
Dreyer
E B
EB
D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D061945:Caspase Inhibitors; D020169:Caspases / Q000378:metabolism*; D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005901:Glaucoma / Q000150:complications*; D018698:Glutamic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008559:Memantine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000378:metabolism; D009901:Optic Nerve Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012165:Retinal Ganglion Cells / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology
D061945:Caspase Inhibitors; D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists; D018698:Glutamic Acid; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D020169:Caspases; D008559:Memantine