Date of Award

1-1-2015

Language

English

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

College/School/Department

Department of Nanoscale Science and Engineering

Program

Nanoscale Engineering

Content Description

1 online resource (xxi, 159 pages) : color illustrations

Dissertation/Thesis Chair

Susan T Sharfstein

Committee Members

John Danias, Lee Ligon, Magnus Bergkvist, Susan T Sharfstein, Yubing Xie

Keywords

3D Cell Culture, Glaucoma, Intraocular Pressure, Outflow Pathway, Tissue Engineering, Trabecular Meshwork, Nanobiotechnology

Subject Categories

Biomedical Engineering and Bioengineering | Nanoscience and Nanotechnology | Ophthalmology

Abstract

Glaucoma refers to a group of slowly progressing eye disorders that lead to damage to the optic nerve, resulting in irreversible vision loss. Recent statistics by the World Health Organization places glaucoma as a leading cause of blindness worldwide, affecting nearly 80 million people. Lowering intraocular pressure (IOP) is currently the only effective target for therapeutic intervention in glaucoma. IOP is mostly controlled by the outflow of the aqueous humor (AH) through the trabecular meshwork (TM). The TM and adjacent endothelium of Schlemm’s canal, known as the conventional outflow-tract, control AH outflow and thus determine IOP.

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