Dutch researchers studying primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) patients with high intraocular pressures said their results suggest a genetic deficiency in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) replication may play a role in the pathology of high-tension glaucoma (HTG).
Blood tests conducted by researchers at Maastricht University revealed HTG patients had fewer mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) copies than normal tension glaucoma (NTG) patients. “Since retinal ganglion cells have a high energy demand, suboptimal mitochondrial function may put the survival of these neurons at risk,” they wrote. This, they explained, combined with ageing and high intraocular pressures, may lead to mitochondrial dysfunction and contribute to glaucoma pathology.
Glaucoma patients with a low number of mtDNA copies per cell may be amenable to drug treatment targeting mitochondrial biogenesis and copy number increase to bolster the overall mitochondrial function, they concluded.
