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Harris A, Verticchio Vercellin A, Weinreb RN, Khawaja A, MacGregor S, Pasquale LR. Lessons From The Glaucoma Foundation Think Tank 2023: A Patient-Centric Approach to Glaucoma. J Glaucoma 2024; 33:e1-e14. [PMID: 38129952 DOI: 10.1097/ijg.0000000000002353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
PRCIS The main takeaways also included that BIG DATA repositories and AI are important combinatory tools to foster novel strategies to prevent and stabilize glaucoma and, in the future, recover vision loss from the disease. PURPOSE To summarize the main topics discussed during the 28th Annual Glaucoma Foundation Think Tank Meeting "A Patient-Centric Approach to Glaucoma" held in New York on June 9 and 10, 2023. METHODS The highlights of the sessions on BIG DATA, genetics, modifiable lifestyle risk factors, female sex hormones, and neuroprotection in the field of primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) were summarized. RESULTS The researchers discussed the importance of BIG DATA repositories available at national and international levels for POAG research, including the United Kingdom Biobank. Combining genotyped large cohorts worldwide, facilitated by artificial intelligence (AI) and machine-learning approaches, led to the milestone discovery of 312 genome-wide significant disease loci for POAG. While these loci could be combined into a polygenic risk score with clinical utility, Think Tank meeting participants also provided analytical epidemiological evidence that behavioral risk factors modify POAG polygenetic risk, citing specific examples related to caffeine and alcohol use. The impact of female sex hormones on POAG pathophysiology was discussed, as was neuroprotection and the potential use of AI to help mitigate specific challenges faced in clinical trials and speed approval of neuroprotective agents. CONCLUSIONS The experts agreed on the importance of genetics in defining individual POAG risk and highlighted the additional crucial role of lifestyle, gender, blood pressure, and vascular risk factors. The main takeaways also included that BIG DATA repositories and AI are important combinatory tools to foster novel strategies to prevent and stabilize glaucoma and, in the future, recover vision loss from the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alon Harris
- Department of Ophthalmology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital, New York, NY
| | | | - Robert N Weinreb
- Viterbi Family Department of Ophthalmology, Hamilton Glaucoma Center, Shiley Eye Institute, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA
| | - Anthony Khawaja
- NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, London, UK
| | - Stuart MacGregor
- Statistical Genetics Laboratory, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Louis R Pasquale
- Department of Ophthalmology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital, New York, NY
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Lusthaus JA. Imaging of aqueous outflow in health and glaucoma. Justifying the re-direction of aqueous. Eye (Lond) 2024:10.1038/s41433-024-02968-8. [PMID: 38429503 DOI: 10.1038/s41433-024-02968-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2023] [Revised: 12/17/2023] [Accepted: 01/26/2024] [Indexed: 03/03/2024] Open
Abstract
A wave of less invasive surgical options that target or bypass the conventional aqueous outflow system has been incorporated into routine clinical practice to mitigate surgical risks associated with traditional glaucoma drainage surgery. A blanket surgical approach for open-angle glaucoma is unlikely to achieve the desired IOP reduction in an efficient or economical way. Developing a precise approach to selecting the most appropriate surgical tool for each patient is dependent upon understanding the complexities of the aqueous outflow system and how devices influence aqueous drainage. However, homoeostatic control of aqueous outflow in health and glaucoma remains poorly understood. Emerging imaging techniques have provided an opportunity to study aqueous outflow responses non-invasively in clinic settings. Haemoglobin Video Imaging (HVI) studies have demonstrated different patterns of aqueous outflow within the episcleral venous system in normal and glaucomatous eyes, as well as perioperatively after trabecular bypass surgery. Explanations for aqueous outflow patterns remain speculative until direct correlation with findings from Schlemm's canal and the trabecular meshwork are possible. The redirection of aqueous via targeted stent placement may only be justifiable once the role of the aqueous outflow system in IOP homoeostasis has been defined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jed A Lusthaus
- Department of Ophthalmology, Sydney Eye Hospital, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
- Discipline of Ophthalmology, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
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Stuart KV, Khawaja AP. Genomics enabling personalised glaucoma care. Br J Ophthalmol 2023; 108:5-9. [PMID: 37989536 DOI: 10.1136/bjo-2023-324618] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2023] [Accepted: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 11/23/2023]
Abstract
Glaucoma is a leading cause of visual impairment and a significant public health concern, but despite ongoing advances in our understanding of the disease, several important clinical challenges remain. With the number of affected people projected to increase substantially over coming decades, novel approaches to screening, risk stratification, therapy and glaucoma research are essential to deal with this expanding burden in an efficient and cost-effective manner. Genomics may hold the key to unlocking further biological insights and enabling precision medicine, in which glaucoma care is tailored to the individual patient, based on their unique profile for disease. Here, we provide an overview of how genomics may enable cost-effective targeted population screening and personalised predictions of risk, response to treatment and effective lifestyle advice. Given rapid advances in genetic testing technology and a move towards population-level genotyping, these early results have several important implications that promise to revolutionise the way in which glaucoma is detected and managed in years to come.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelsey V Stuart
- NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, London, UK
| | - Anthony P Khawaja
- NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, London, UK
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Gao XR, Chiariglione M, Choquet H, Arch AJ. 10 Years of GWAS in intraocular pressure. Front Genet 2023; 14:1130106. [PMID: 37124618 PMCID: PMC10130654 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2023.1130106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2022] [Accepted: 04/05/2023] [Indexed: 05/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Intraocular pressure (IOP) is the only modifiable risk factor for glaucoma, the leading cause of irreversible blindness worldwide. In this review, we summarize the findings of genome-wide association studies (GWASs) of IOP published in the past 10 years and prior to December 2022. Over 190 genetic loci and candidate genes associated with IOP have been uncovered through GWASs, although most of these studies were conducted in subjects of European and Asian ancestries. We also discuss how these common variants have been used to derive polygenic risk scores for predicting IOP and glaucoma, and to infer causal relationship with other traits and conditions through Mendelian randomization. Additionally, we summarize the findings from a recent large-scale exome-wide association study (ExWAS) that identified rare variants associated with IOP in 40 novel genes, six of which are drug targets for clinical treatment or are being evaluated in clinical trials. Finally, we discuss the need for future genetic studies of IOP to include individuals from understudied populations, including Latinos and Africans, in order to fully characterize the genetic architecture of IOP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyi Raymond Gao
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States
- Division of Human Genetics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States
| | - Marion Chiariglione
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States
| | - Hélène Choquet
- Division of Research, Kaiser Permanente Northern California, Oakland, CA, United States
| | - Alexander J. Arch
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States
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Gao XR, Chiariglione M, Arch AJ. Whole-exome sequencing study identifies rare variants and genes associated with intraocular pressure and glaucoma. Nat Commun 2022; 13:7376. [PMID: 36450729 PMCID: PMC9712679 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-35188-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2022] [Accepted: 11/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) is a major risk factor for glaucoma, the leading cause of irreversible blindness worldwide. IOP is also the only modifiable risk factor for glaucoma. Previous genome-wide association studies have established the contribution of common genetic variants to IOP. The role of rare variants for IOP was unknown. Using whole exome sequencing data from 110,260 participants in the UK Biobank (UKB), we conducted the largest exome-wide association study of IOP to date. In addition to confirming known IOP genes, we identified 40 novel rare-variant genes for IOP, such as BOD1L1, ACAD10 and HLA-B, demonstrating the power of including and aggregating rare variants in gene discovery. About half of these IOP genes are also associated with glaucoma phenotypes in UKB and the FinnGen cohort. Six of these genes, i.e. ADRB1, PTPRB, RPL26, RPL10A, EGLN2, and MTOR, are drug targets that are either established for clinical treatment or in clinical trials. Furthermore, we constructed a rare-variant polygenic risk score and showed its significant association with glaucoma in independent participants (n = 312,825). We demonstrated the value of rare variants to enhance our understanding of the biological mechanisms regulating IOP and uncovered potential therapeutic targets for glaucoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyi Raymond Gao
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA. .,Department of Biomedical Informatics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA. .,Division of Human Genetics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA. .,Ohio State University Physicians Inc., Columbus, OH, USA.
| | - Marion Chiariglione
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
| | - Alexander J Arch
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
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Wang Z, Wiggs JL, Aung T, Khawaja AP, Khor CC. The genetic basis for adult onset glaucoma: Recent advances and future directions. Prog Retin Eye Res 2022; 90:101066. [PMID: 35589495 DOI: 10.1016/j.preteyeres.2022.101066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2022] [Revised: 04/19/2022] [Accepted: 04/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Glaucoma, a diverse group of eye disorders that results in the degeneration of retinal ganglion cells, is the world's leading cause of irreversible blindness. Apart from age and ancestry, the major risk factor for glaucoma is increased intraocular pressure (IOP). In primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG), the anterior chamber angle is open but there is resistance to aqueous outflow. In primary angle-closure glaucoma (PACG), crowding of the anterior chamber angle due to anatomical alterations impede aqueous drainage through the angle. In exfoliation syndrome and exfoliation glaucoma, deposition of white flaky material throughout the anterior chamber directly interfere with aqueous outflow. Observational studies have established that there is a strong hereditable component for glaucoma onset and progression. Indeed, a succession of genome wide association studies (GWAS) that were centered upon single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) have yielded more than a hundred genetic markers associated with glaucoma risk. However, a shortcoming of GWAS studies is the difficulty in identifying the actual effector genes responsible for disease pathogenesis. Building on the foundation laid by GWAS studies, research groups have recently begun to perform whole exome-sequencing to evaluate the contribution of protein-changing, coding sequence genetic variants to glaucoma risk. The adoption of this technology in both large population-based studies as well as family studies are revealing the presence of novel, protein-changing genetic variants that could enrich our understanding of the pathogenesis of glaucoma. This review will cover recent advances in the genetics of primary open-angle glaucoma, primary angle-closure glaucoma and exfoliation glaucoma, which collectively make up the vast majority of all glaucoma cases in the world today. We will discuss how recent advances in research methodology have uncovered new risk genes, and how follow up biological investigations could be undertaken in order to define how the risk encoded by a genetic sequence variant comes into play in patients. We will also hypothesise how data arising from characterising these genetic variants could be utilized to predict glaucoma risk and the manner in which new therapeutic strategies might be informed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenxun Wang
- Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore; Genome Institute of Singapore, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore; Singapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore National Eye Centre, Singapore.
| | - Janey L Wiggs
- Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Tin Aung
- Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore; Singapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore National Eye Centre, Singapore
| | - Anthony P Khawaja
- NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, London, United Kingdom
| | - Chiea Chuen Khor
- Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore; Genome Institute of Singapore, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore; Singapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore National Eye Centre, Singapore
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Greene KM, Stamer WD, Liu Y. The role of microRNAs in glaucoma. Exp Eye Res 2022; 215:108909. [PMID: 34968473 PMCID: PMC8923961 DOI: 10.1016/j.exer.2021.108909] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2021] [Revised: 11/28/2021] [Accepted: 12/20/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
In this review, we aim to provide a comprehensive summary of the various microRNAs (miRNAs) shown to be involved in glaucoma and intraocular pressure regulation. miRNAs are short, single-stranded, and noncoding RNAs that regulate gene expression in a number of physiological conditions and human diseases, including glaucoma. Numerous miRNAs display differential expression in glaucoma-affected tissues, such as aqueous humor, tears, trabecular meshwork, and retina analyzed from patients and animal models, suggesting their potential involvement in glaucoma pathogenesis. Several studies summarized here have also investigated the challenge of delivering intact miRNAs to target tissues in order to develop miRNA-based glaucoma therapies. We extend these reports by conducting an additional layer of analysis that integrates the interaction between glaucoma-related miRNAs and glaucoma-associated genes. We conclude with a comprehensive discussion of the therapeutic potential of miRNAs, the cellular pathways that link these miRNAs together, and the most promising miRNAs for future glaucoma research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karah M. Greene
- Department of Cellular Biology and Anatomy, Augusta University, 1460 Laney Walker Blvd CB1101, Augusta, GA 30912, United States
| | - W. Daniel Stamer
- Departments of Ophthalmology and Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, 2351 Erwin Rd, Durham, NC 27710, United States
| | - Yutao Liu
- Department of Cellular Biology and Anatomy, Augusta University, 1460 Laney Walker Blvd CB1101, Augusta, GA 30912, United States.,Center for Biotechnology and Genomic Medicine, Augusta University, 1120 15th Street, Augusta, GA 30912, United States,James and Jean Culver Vision Discovery Institute, Augusta University, 1460 Laney Walker Blvd CB1101, Augusta, GA 30912, United States
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