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eye to eye newsNovember 2020The Glaucoma Foundation | Page OneDr. Schlötzer-Schrehardt is a member of TGF’s Scientic Advisory Board. She is a professor at the University of Erlangen - Nürnberg’s Department of Ophthalmology, where she has been cited as the world’s leading expert on the pathogenetic mechanisms causing PEX and lauded for her tremendous contributions to our knowledge of the cellular and molecular mechanisms that cause this disease.Pseudoexfoliation syndrome (PEX) is the most common type of secondary open- angle glaucoma associated with a high risk of blindness. The causes underlying the development of pseudoexfoliation PEX and its related glaucoma are not fully understood and have no specic treatment. For her study into the mechanisms of PEX pathogenesis and the identication of therapeutic targets, TGF has awarded our rst named research grant to Ursula Schlötzer-Schrehardt, Ph.D. The Barry Friedberg and Charlotte Moss Grant Award will support her study testing the hypothesis that impaired retinoic acid signaling is involved in the abnormal brotic matrix process. Compounds that stimulate retinoic acid signaling have the potential to reverse the adverse brotic effects of the disease. Dr. Schlötzer-Schrehardt anticipates that the study’s ndings will identify novel pathomechanisms that are involved in the development of PEX glaucoma and advance the development of novel therapeutic approaches for its treatment.TGF Awards First Named Research GrantDoctor, I Have A Question: What’s new in genetics research?Our growing understanding of the specic genes that contribute to major forms of glaucoma is encouraging.continued on page 3
Lilian Rosenbaum, LCSW-C, BCB, PhD, is Clinical Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at Georgetown University Medical School where she has been a member of the faculty since 1970. She is an acclaimed pioneer in the eld of biofeedback and the founder, at Georgetown, of one of the country’s rst biofeedback programs.Lilian has been on a 22-year glaucoma journey. In 1998, she suffered an angle closure attack that severely damaged her vision. Through surgeries and other treatments, her DC doctor and her newer specialist in Boston have been able to preserve her remaining vision. Her sight has been under control these last few years and she currently needs no medications.A narrow angle, which can be detected during a comprehensive eye exam, refers to an angle between the outer edge of the iris and the cornea that is narrower, The Glaucoma Foundation | Page TwoLillian was only diagnosed after an angle closure attack partially blinded her.or more closed, than normal. If not watched, narrow angles can lead to an acute angle attack, which is a medical emergency that can cause permanent damage within hours. Having narrow angles doesn’t always lead to angle-closure glaucoma, but the narrower the angle, the greater the risk, especially with increasing age. After losing much of the vision in her right eye, Lillian easily convinced her family members to see a glaucoma specialist. “My younger sister and my youngest daughter also have narrow angles. They both had immediate iridotomies and have avoided the potential nightmares of narrow-angle glaucoma.” Laser iridotomy is a procedure to treat narrow angles, chronic angle-closure glaucoma, and acute angle-closure glaucoma. It creates a tiny hole in the iris to restore the circulation of uid within the eye.Living With Glaucoma:A Sudden Attackeye to eye news
The Glaucoma Foundation | Page ThreeDoctor, I Have A QuestionWhat do we know about the genetics of glaucoma?Answered by John H. Fingert, MD, PhD Hadley-Carver Chair in Glaucoma Professor, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science Director, Glaucoma Genetics Lab Carver College of Medicine, University of IowaScientic Advisory Board, The Glaucoma Foundationcontinued from rst pageThere are three genes that each cause primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) on their own -- just one gene with minimal inuence from other genes or the environment. If you inherit that gene, you get the disease; if not, you don’t. But, only about one in 20 glaucoma cases works that way. In most cases, including such adult-onset forms of glaucoma as POAG, low-tension glaucoma, and glaucoma associated with exfoliation, it’s not a single gene, but the interaction of multiple genes and environmental factors such as UV exposure. This is called ‘complex genetics.’Defects in a gene called LOXL1 may confer up to a 20-fold increased risk for exfoliation syndrome and glaucoma related to this condition. This risk may come from dozens or even hundreds of rare LOXL1 mutations. Each exfoliation syndrome patient may have unique LOXL1 mutations and there may be dozens or even hundreds of such mutations to identify – an elusive task, until recently.Now, with a grant from The Glaucoma Foundation, my lab is using a new sequencing technology called deep mutational scanning to study mutational effects on a very large scale. It allows us to look at every possible change in the LOXL1 gene up to 100,000 sequence changes and will help us nd numerous, rare LOXL1 mutations and start understanding how each of them affects this gene’s activity.We are hopeful that this new research approach will help us determine why people with these risk factors get disease and what we can do about it.
The Glaucoma Foundation is one of the premier not-for-prot organizations dedicated to eradicating blindness from glaucoma through vital research and education. We are proud to have recently established The Patricia Hill - Dr. Sanford Eisenberg Fellowship inGlaucoma, an annual award designedto strengthen the contribution ofophthalmologists from groups thatare currently underrepresented.Ms. Hill came from two generations of eye-care professionals. Through her work with TGF and the creation of this fellowship, she hopes to encourage and support diversity and expand opportunities within this new generation of physicians. The rst two fellowships have been awarded to physicians from the Columbia University Medical Center. Dr. Jessica Scott and Dr. Sejal Patel have each received a $10,000 grant to enhance their study of glaucoma through participation in published and presented research and prestigious professional conferences such as the American Glaucoma Society and the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO).The Glaucoma Foundation | Page FourDr. Sejal Patel is an advocate on issues of access to care. Her outreach has extended from New York City to a remote community in the Himalayas. While a member of a team in India during medical school and residency, she also worked closely with a Guyanese population in the Bronx. Realizing that glaucoma had progressed more in this population than it had in other subgroups, her dedication to the pursuit of better education and access to care for all has only been strengthened. Dr. Jessica Scott is the daughter of a comprehensive ophthalmologist. She credits her father for helping to shape the trajectory of her career, and now nds immense satisfaction as a mentor to other young doctors. Honoring Diversity in the Medical Professioneye to eye newswww.glaucomafoundation.org
This summer, the Foundation invited artists and art lovers to a fundraising challenge. Artists submitted original works to TGF’s Art Challenge to Celebrate Vision, each of which generated donations that qualied them for display in our virtual art gallery. Thirty-eight works of art made it into the gallery and the Challenge raised more than $38,000 for glaucoma research.See the art and meet the artists on our website:The Glaucoma Foundation | Page Fivewww.glaucomafoundation.org
After years of slowly losing his sight to glaucoma, multi-award-winning lmmaker Joe Lovett embarked on a quest to understand how other people are living with vision loss. His pursuit began close to home and eventually led him around the country and to people of all different ages and backgrounds. In his lm, “Going Blind: Coming Out of the Dark About Vision Loss,” Joe, and the remarkable people he meets, take us on their personal journeys. In October, we invited our online viewers to an exclusive screening of the lm, followed by a discussion with Joe and a panel of experts in ophthalmology, glaucoma, and low-vision therapy. Among them was one of the lm’s subjects, Jessica Jones, an artist and teacher who lost her sight suddenly as a young woman. You can access a recording of the panel discussion on our website: www.glaucomafoundation.org The Glaucoma Foundation | Page SixTGF Hosts Discussion Around the Documentary Film, “Going Blind: Coming Out of the Darkness About Vision Loss.”“I’ve learned that losing vision is not the end of the world. It’s a challenge – a big challenge. But the biggestlearning experience I had frommaking this lm was that my anxietyat losing more vision has come waydown. I see how the six people in thelm who are living with severe visionloss have dealt with anxiety, travel,work, studying, and enjoying theirlives. I’m knocked out by what theyaccomplish, and I understand thatthese are things I too can do.”- Joe Lovetteye to eye news
to engaging with you in other ways until we can meet again in person. We are consulting with several leading glaucoma experts who are interested in answering your questions and sharing their perspectives on the changing landscape of healthcare, and we will be introducing you to them via webinar and newsletters in the months to come.In the meantime, we hope that you will continue to reach out to others through our support groups, and share your personal stories with us at info@glaucomafoundation.org. Thank you for your incredible support. Wishing you all the best, Elena Sturman President and CEOIf you are not receiving our emails,please let us know.Call us (212) 285-0080 Or write:info@glaucomafoundation.orgA message from the presidentDear Readers, There is no doubt that this has been a year of challenges. We hope that you and your loved ones are staying connected and safe, and we want you to know that we are working hard to be a source of reliable information and comfort. My staff and I, and a wonderful board of directors and scientic advisors, are devoted to this forward-thinking project that is The Glaucoma Foundation, and to you. We are grateful for the hundreds of contributions we’ve received during this tumultuous time. With the condence of many people to bolster us, we have had a remarkably productive year and are poised to achieve even more in 2021.If you check in to our website, you will nd our 2019 Annual Report. Last year, we held the International Scientic Think Tank and other signicant events in New York City. Seminars and celebrations like these have been necessarily suspended, but we look forward The Glaucoma Foundation | Page Seven