[Neuronal cell death mechanism in glaucomatous optic neuropathy]

Apoptosis of retinal ganglion cells has been observed in experimental glaucomatous models and human glaucomatous eyes in recent pathological studies. It seems that retinal ganglion cells in glaucomatous optic neuropathy die by a process similar to programmed cell death. Deprivation of neurotrophic factors, ischemia, chronic elevation of glutamate, and disorganized NO metabolism are suspected to be factors affecting neuronal loss in glaucoma, and most of these factors are known to activate the mechanism of cellular suicidal death. One of the common switches for the death mechanism seems to be in the mitochondria and to be controlled by Bcl-2 family proteins. A major goal of neuronal cell death research in glaucomatous neuropathy is to identify its molecular components and mechanisms of regulation. This information will lead to therapeutic agents that can modulate the cell death process in the treatment of glaucomatous neuropathy.