Neuroprotezione: the next step nella terapia del glaucoma

Scientific researches are aimed to reduce theglaucoma by means of neuroprotection sincean optical nerve damage could determine visualloss. Actually, there are neuroprotective drugssuch as i) blood flow enhancers such as Ca2+blockers; ii) glutamate inhibitors; iii) nitricoxide inhibitors; iv) free radical scavengers/antioxidant. Moreover, experimental studieshave shown that growth factors such asbFGF (basic fibroblastic growth factor), brainneurotrophic factor (BDNF), neutrophin-4 andciliary neurotrophic (CNTF) greatly reduceretinal ganglion cell death rates after axotomy.Recent molecular genetic studies have identifiedthe bax and bad genes as stimulators andbcl-x and bcl-2 genes as suppressor of retinalglanglion cell apoptosis.