2021 NOVEMBER : simplebooklet.com

Newsletter November, 2021MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENTDear Readers,I hope this newsletter nds all of you well and taking care of yourselves. During this special season of Thanksgiving, I want you to know how grateful we are for you, our friends, and supporters, who make our research and educational initiatives possible. You are vital to our work!We are excited to announce that donations to the 2021 TGF Art Challenge exceeded our goal, raising $75,830.00. With the addition of a generous matching gift, we now have $151,660.00 to fund glaucoma research in our next grant cycle! The goal of all we do is to end glaucoma – the silent thief of sight. Toward that end, after a one-year hiatus due to Covid, we just concluded our 27th Annual International Scientic Think Tank. It was our rst hybrid in-person and virtual conference, and it was a great success, as you will read. There is a lot happening in the world of glaucoma and clinical advances and you can learn more at our upcoming Webinar. Please join us on Wednesday, November 10, 2021 at 5pm Eastern Time on Zoom, when Dr. Jerey Liebmann will talk about the latest news in glaucoma procedures and treatments. Dr. Liebmann is Shirlee and Bernard Brown Professor, Vice-Chair, and Director of the Glaucoma Division of the Department of Ophthalmology at Columbia University Medical Center. In addition to maintaining a busy practice in New York City, Dr. Liebmann is Principal Investigator for the NIH African Descent and Glaucoma Evaluation Study (ADAGES) and Ocular Hypertension Treatment Study (OHTS III) at Columbia University and is the author and/or co-author of more than 1000 medical and scientic papers, book chapters, and abstracts. You might also want to save the date of December 3rd, when Accessible Pharmacy Services for the Blind will host a Blindness and Diabetes Webinar with expert presenters.Today, we wish you and your families a happy and healthy Thanksgiving. And thank you for being a TGF newsletter reader. If there are any topics you would like us to explore in upcoming issues, let us know at info@glaucomafoundation.org.We are most grateful.Elena Sturman

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The 27th Annual TGF Scientic Think Tank On October 15th, 33 scientists and glaucoma clinicians from research institutions throughout the US and from Canada, Australia, Sweden, Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan, and Germany participated in The Glaucoma Foundation’s 27th Annual Scientic Think Tank, which focused on “New Vistas in Glaucoma Research.” 2021 featured a dynamic hybrid Glaucoma Think Tank meeting with live and online participants. In recent years, the Think Tank has focused on exploring exfoliation syndrome (XFS), an age-related systemic disease and the most common recognizable cause of open-angle glaucoma worldwide, comprising the majority of cases in some countries. “We are making exciting strides,” says Dr. Ritch, a pioneer and world expert in the eld. “We have signicantly increased the number of people working in this disease and areas relating to it. In the last few years, research has more than tripled.”Collaboration is the key to the success of the Think Tank, which strives to create an open and eective dialogue among those attending that will lead to continued communications across disciplines and between laboratories – long after the meeting has ended. Collaborations have already advanced the understanding of exfoliation and yielded important new ndings.While the rst session of this 2021 Think Tank continued its focus on exfoliation, with four papers presented, the meeting was also hybrid in terms of its content, extending beyond the focus on exfoliation to also include glaucoma genetics, neuroprotection and neuroregeneration. Several novel approaches were presented. In a paper on Insulin Signaling and Restoration of Retinal Circuitry, Adriana di Polo, PhD, of the University of Montreal, presented research ndings supporting the critical role of insulin for dendritic regeneration, reconnection, and circuit repair in glaucoma. Other speakers summarized studies their labs are conducting using pluripotent stem cell technology to develop strategies for repairing a damaged optic nerve. Considerable time was spent discussing the current state of optic nerve transplantation and engraftment for glaucoma. Retinal ganglion cells are the cells that die in glaucoma, causing progressive and irreversible vision loss. Thomas V. Johnson, The Allan & Shelley Holt Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology at Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkin University, gave a special lecture on retinal ganglion cell transplantation and engraftment, reporting on research into methodologies for achieving survival and functional connectivity by transplanted human stem cell derived retinal ganglion cells following transplantation.At the lively nal Think Tank session, participants synthesized the contents of earlier presentations and discussions and looked ahead to ongoing and future research needs. Among subjects discussed: what gene targets to study and other requirements for genetic studies going forward, and glaucoma experimental models needed for future research.Overall, participants were enthusiastic about the future of glaucoma research.

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Doctor, I Have A Question. Why is Dry Eye so Prevalent?Question Answered by Gregory K. Harmon, MDChairman, The Glaucoma Foundation Associate Professor of Ophthalmology, Weill Medical College of Cornell University/New York Presbyterian Hospital Dry eye disease is a common eye disorder in which the eyes don’t make enough tears, or the tears evaporate too quickly. It can make your eyes feel dry, scratchy, and irritated or watery, and it can cause vision uctuation and a heavy, tired feeling of the eyes.At least sixteen million people in the United States have dry eye syndrome and that number includes from 40 to 50 percent of people who are being treated for glaucoma.One reason for this correlation is that like open-angle glaucoma, dry eye syndrome becomes more common with aging. That’s also why, as the result of hormonal changes, women are more likely than men to have dry eye syndrome.Another factor is glaucoma patients’ long-term use of pressure-lowering eye drops, many of which contain the preservative benzalkonium chloride (BAK). BAK is known to damage cells on the ocular surface, resulting in dry eye signs and symptoms. Dry eye is further aggravated and probably becoming more prevalent because of a greater reliance on computer and video screens for both work and play and more time spent in air-conditioned environments.Normally, tears are produced by several glands. The lacrimal glands produce the watery tears through openings in the upper eyelids. Meibomian glands in both the upper and lower eyelids just behind the eyelashes produce the oily smooth outer layer of tears that stops the watery tears from evaporating.Because most dry eye disease patients have eyes that don’t make enough tears, and they also lose their tears too quickly, treatment often addresses both issues.There are dierent treatment options your eye doctor may suggest, depending on the type and severity of your condition. Among them:Articial tears are eye drops used as a replacement for watery tears. Gels and ointments are also available. They usually last longer in the eye and need to be put in less frequently but can blur the vision. There are many dierent types of articial tears available without prescription. Tear production can also be increased with several prescription eye drops for dry eye (Restasis, Cequa, Xiidra) and very recently the FDA approved a nasal spray.Punctal plugs are sometimes used in dry eye treatment to help tears remain on the surface of the eye longer.

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To express natural oily tears to the eye surface, at-home hygiene techniques such as eyelid cleansing and daily warm eyelid compresses can help to minimize clogged glands and inammation of the eyelids. In-oce procedures may also be suggested. LipiFlow, also known as thermal pulsation, is aimed specically at meibomian gland dysfunction-related evaporative dry eye, as is iLUX, a procedure that allows individualized targeted treatment of evaporative dry eye.Your doctor may suggest switching to preservative-free glaucoma eye drops.Addressing lifestyle factors can also help manage dry eye associated with glaucoma. Some studies have found that supplements and foods containing omega-3 fatty acids can decrease dry eye symptoms. Your eyes may also feel better if you:• Limit screen time and take frequent breaks from staring at screens. • Remember to blink often when you are reading or viewing a computer screen.• Wear wraparound sunglasses when you're outside.• Try to avoid smoke, wind, and air conditioning.• Use a humidier to keep the air in your home from getting too dry.• Drink 7- 8-ounce glasses of water daily.• Get 7-8 hours of sleep per night.Like glaucoma, dry eye disease is chronic. But today, eye care professionals have a growing number of eective treatments to manage the condition and improve quality of life.

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Newsletter November, 2021 LIVING WITH GLAUCOMAMeet Jahkori Dopwell HallJahkori Dopwell Hall is an inspiring 21-year-old artist, currently a senior at the Ringling College of Art and Design in Florida, where he’s majoring in illustration and minoring in art education. Most recently, his painting “Mrs. Black Moses, a portrait of the American abolitionist Harriet Tubman, won the TGF Art Challenge Award for Favorite Artwork based on audience voting of this year’s Art Challenge submissions. The honor carries with it a prize of $500.“My ideas come from a combination of my imagination and things experienced in life,” says Jahkori. “My goal is to make a statement with my art and bring about change in the community.” Jahkori is passionate about his work, overcoming signicant challenges. He was born with primary congenital glaucoma, a rare condition which aects one in 10,000 infants. Some readers may be familiar with Jahkori’s story – shared as a panelist on a TGF Webinar earlier this year on which he addressed the importance of trust between physician and glaucoma patient. He credits his doctor of 20 years who with his team has been with him every step of the way.Glaucoma has aected his life physically, personally, and professionally, he says. “Eye surgeries, visual eld and OCT imaging tests, eye patches – it was all too much for a growing child like me. But I always had a passion for drawing and painting and was not aware that my glaucoma could put that in jeopardy. Since I had my rst goniotomy surgery, my right eye has been stable, and that eye maintains 20/20 vision to this day. But my left eye continues to uctuate with high pressures and blurred vision.“I’m living proof you can achieve whatever you set your mind to,” says Jahkori. “When I took my career path to a new level, people told me I wouldn’t be able to do that – but I didn’t let that negativity get in my way.”He’s had his art displayed in many places, including Lincoln Center in New York, and he’s received several commissions, including a contract to design and paint an abstract mural for a nancial services building in Sarasota. Jahkori also teaches art to children as a substitute teacher and privately on weekends. “At the end of the day people are going to tell you who you are. But you have to punch back and say ‘no’, this is who I am. I was able to see the path, even with blurred vision.”

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DR. ROBERT N. WEINREB WINNER OF THE GLAUCOMA FOUNDATION’S 2021 ROBERT RITCH AWARD Dr. Robert Weinreb has been named the 2021 recipient of The Glaucoma Foundation’s (TGF) Robert Ritch Award for Innovation and Excellence in Glaucoma. Created in 2008, the award recognizes the contributions of individuals who have played a signicant and unique role in promoting the medicine and science of glaucoma. The award is named in honor of Dr. Robert Ritch, founder of TGF and its Medical Director. It was presented on October 15th at a dinner during The Glaucoma Foundation’s 27th Annual Think Tank, held in New York City. “Said Elena Sturman, TGF President and CEO, “Dr. Weinreb’s career has impressively impacted multiple areas of glaucoma research and clinical progress worldwide. We congratulate him on his many achievements.” Dr. Weinreb, a world-renowned clinician, surgeon, teacher, and scientist, is Distinguished Professor and Chair of Ophthalmology at the University of California San Diego, where he is also the Director of the Shiley Eye Institute and the Hamilton Glaucoma Center and holder of the Morris Gleich MD Chair in Glaucoma.His clinical and research interests are diverse and include glaucoma surgery, optic neuropathy and aging of the eye, imaging of the optic nerve and retinal nerve ber layer, mechanisms of optic nerve damage in glaucoma, neuroprotection of glaucoma and cataract surgery. A prolic author and investigator, Dr. Weinreb has published more than 1,000 peer-reviewed manuscripts and twenty-four books. He has served as president for the World Glaucoma Association, the American Glaucoma Society, the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, and several other organizations.

2021 NOVEMBER

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