Institution: University of California Berkeley
Talk Title: Will blocking PGE2 protect the retina in a mouse model of glaucoma-like neurodegeneration?
Abstract: Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) is an immune-response mediator involved in signaling pathways that drive inflammation, pain, and vascular changes in many parts of the body. It is the primary target for a common class of drugs, NSAIDs, which includes aspirin and ibuprofen. However, very little is known about the presence or role of PGE2 in the back of the eye. We investigated the PGE2 pathway in the retinas and optic nerves of mouse eyes with elevated intraocular pressure, a major driving factor of glaucoma. We also modeled glaucoma-like conditions in vitro using stressed, dying neuronal cells. Overall, our results indicate for the first time that the PGE2 pathway is present, functional, and undergoing dynamic changes in the retina and optic nerves in response to increased eye pressure. PGE2 binds to EP receptors on cell membranes, and our findings show that high levels of receptor EP1 are a key feature of the retinal damage caused by elevated eye pressure. Our in vitro results indicate that inhibiting EP1 is neuroprotective. These results are relevant to the search for drug targets to treat glaucoma.