Comprehensive and prompt basic science study for protecting retinal ganglion cell by combined system of cultured cell and individual animals and application for clinical approach

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Ocular disease targeting retinal ganglion cell (RGC) loss, such as glaucoma that is secondary cause of acquired blindness in the world, may cause severe and irreversible visual dysfunction. Many kinds of treatment including clinical applied for other diseases are subject to be candidated treatment for this insult. In this particular investigation., we aimed to investigate the effectiveness of either candidated or unknown factors for rescuing RGC loss using prompt and accurate evaluation system for pursuing new clinical treatment. In results, we success to establish new evaluation system for RGC damage, and we investigate several new potential neuron-protective drugs such as latanoprost and iganijipine. We also revealed new aspects regarding mechanism of damage of retinal neuron such as regulating kinase 1 that plays a important role in apoptosis of RGC and success to develop new approach for neuron-protection. We also investigated single nucleotide polymorphisms in glaucoma in genes of OPA-1, apolipoprotein E, and Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase gene. Furthermore, at present, we are working on revising new in vivo and in vitro disease models, preparing several types of transgenic animals with new evaluation system for them, and developing new animal disease models using primate for investigating RGC disturbance for conducting good platform of translational research system. Those of them are expected to contribute investigation for new aspects of disturbance mechanism of RGC and development of new therapy.