Researchers discover therapeutic target to aid in glaucoma treatment

Indiana University researchers have identified a new therapeutic target that could lead to more effective treatment of glaucoma, a neurodegenerative disease that causes vision loss and blindness due to optic nerve damage.

In a newly published paper in Communications Biology, researchers led by Arupratan Das found that restoring energy-producing mitochondria in diseased neurons can protect optic nerve cells from damage.

"The fundamental mechanisms that we discovered can be used to protect neurons in glaucoma and be tested for other diseases. We have identified a critical step of the complex mitochondrial homeostasis process, which rejuvenates the dying neuron, similar to giving a lifeline to a dying person," said Das.