Glaucoma is a group of progressive optic neuropathies characterized by degeneration of retinal ganglion cells and their axons, leading to structural changes in the optic nerve head and corresponding visual field defects.

How common is glaucoma?

Glaucoma is a leading cause of irreversible blindness worldwide, though specific prevalence statistics were not provided in the search results.

Who is at highest risk for glaucoma?

Risk factors include: Family history of glaucoma Elevated intraocular pressure Age (risk increases with age) Certain ethnic backgrounds (though specifics were not provided in the results)

How do Striatech’s products support translational glaucoma research?

By providing objective, quantifiable measures of visual function in animal models, Striatech’s products help bridge the gap between preclinical and clinical glaucoma research. This aids in the development and evaluation of new therapies that can potentially be translated to human patients.

Are Striatech’s products suitable for both academic and pharmaceutical glaucoma research?

Yes, Striatech’s products are designed for use in both academic and pharmaceutical settings. They are particularly valuable for efficacy testing of novel ophthalmic drugs and safety screening for potential side effects of new compounds.

Can Striatech’s products detect early stages of glaucoma in animal models?

Yes, the high sensitivity of the OptoDrum, especially when combined with the ScotopicKit, allows for the detection of subtle changes in visual function that may occur in the early stages of glaucoma, before significant structural changes are apparent.

How do Striatech’s products contribute to cost-saving in glaucoma research?

The OptoDrum requires no animal training and minimal personnel training, as the software automates the analysis. This saves time and resources in glaucoma studies.

Can Striatech’s products be used with both mice and rat models of glaucoma?

Yes, Striatech offers the OptoDrumPLUS, which is designed for use with rats but can also accommodate mice, making it versatile for different rodent models of glaucoma.

How can the OptoDrum be used in glaucoma research?

The OptoDrum automatically assesses visual acuity and contrast sensitivity in rodent models of glaucoma. It provides a non-invasive, objective method to track disease progression and evaluate the efficacy of new treatments by measuring the optomotor reflex.

What advantages does the ScotopicKit offer for glaucoma studies?

The ScotopicKit, an add-on for the OptoDrum, enables testing of rod-specific vision under low-light conditions. This is particularly valuable in glaucoma research, as it allows for the detection of early visual deficits that may occur in scotopic conditions before photopic vision is affected.

Can Striatech’s products be used to evaluate new glaucoma treatments?

Yes, the OptoDrum is specifically designed to evaluate new treatment options, including stem cells, optogenetics, and neuroprotective therapies in ophthalmology research, which includes glaucoma studies.

How does the OptoDrum facilitate longitudinal glaucoma studies?

The OptoDrum’s non-invasive nature allows for repeated testing of the same animal, even daily if required. This makes it ideal for monitoring disease progression over time in glaucoma models.

How does the AcuiSee complement the OptoDrum in glaucoma research?

While the OptoDrum uses the optomotor reflex, the AcuiSee assesses vision based on operant conditioning. This provides researchers with two complementary methods to evaluate visual function in glaucoma models, offering a more comprehensive assessment.

Research Applications for Striatech Products

Glaucoma

Glaucoma is a group of progressive optic neuropathies characterized by degeneration of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) and their axons, leading to structural changes in the optic nerve head and corresponding visual field defects. While elevated intraocular pressure is a significant risk factor, the exact pathophysiology remains complex and multifactorial. Glaucoma is typically classified into open-angle and angle-closure types, with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) being the most common form. Early detection and monitoring of glaucoma progression are crucial for preserving vision, as the condition is often asymptomatic in its early stages.

Relevance of Glaucoma in Vision Research

Glaucoma research is of paramount importance due to its status as a leading cause of irreversible blindness worldwide. Vision research in glaucoma focuses on:

Understanding the mechanisms of RGC death and axonal degeneration
Developing early diagnostic tools to detect functional changes before irreversible structural damage occurs
Investigating neuroprotective strategies to preserve RGCs
Exploring the role of non-IOP factors in disease progression
Evaluating the efficacy of various treatment modalities

Recent studies have highlighted the importance of assessing both photopic and scotopic visual function in glaucoma, as scotopic sensitivity may be affected earlier in the disease process.

Common Animal Models to Study Glaucoma

Induced ocular hypertension models (e.g., microbead injection)
Genetic models (e.g., DBA/2J mice)
Optic nerve crush models
Ischemia-reperfusion models
Transgenic models expressing mutated human genes associated with glaucoma

Benefits and Limitations of Animal Models

Benefits:

Allow for controlled induction and monitoring of disease progression
Enable longitudinal assessment of structural and functional changes
Provide platforms for testing novel therapeutic approaches
Permit correlation between cellular changes and visual function

Limitations:

Differences in ocular anatomy and physiology between rodents and humans
Challenges in modeling the chronic, slow progression of human glaucoma
Variability in disease manifestation between different genetic backgrounds
Limited ability to model the complex genetic and environmental factors in human glaucoma

Publications on Glaucoma

Scientific Reports (Jan 09, 2026) Soluble guanylate cyclase deficiency drives retinal ganglion cell neurodegeneration with age in female mice through disrupted oxidative metabolism

Bossardet OL, Clark KL, Wade S, Snyder LA, Mecca S, Holden JM, Almaoui E, Konety R, Ghanem GOB, Korobkina ED, Rex TS, Wareham LK

DOI: 10.1038/s41598-025-34243-5 >>

Featured image for “Soluble guanylate cyclase deficiency drives retinal ganglion cell neurodegeneration with age in female mice through disrupted oxidative metabolism”

This study shows that when mice lack a key enzyme called soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC) — which normally helps nerve cells use nitric oxide to make a messenger molecule (cGMP) — they develop age‑related vision loss by losing retinal ganglion cells. This effect was seen only in aging female mice. Loss of sGC disrupted how these cells use energy: glucose uptake declined, mitochondria didn’t function properly, and oxidative (nitrosative) stress increased in the retinal ganglion cell layer. These changes led to poorer visual performance, measured behaviorally using Striatech’s OptoDrum. The results suggest a sex‑specific metabolic vulnerability in retinal neurons and point to the sGC–cGMP pathway as a potential target for therapies against glaucoma and other neurodegenerative conditions.

Dysfunctional cGMP signaling is implicated in multiple neurodegenerative diseases of the central nervous system (CNS), including glaucoma, an optic neuropathy and leading cause of irreversible blindness. Female mice lacking the alpha catalytic subunit of soluble guanylate cyclase (sGCα1^-/-), the active site that binds nitric oxide (NO) to produce cGMP, exhibit progressive retinal ganglion cell (RGC) degeneration with age. Yet, the role of sGC in age- and sex-dependent RGC function remains uncharacterized. We investigated how preventing NO binding to sGC influences RGC function in the context of aging and sex by combining bulk and single-cell RNA sequencing, Western blotting, mitochondrial ultrastructural analysis, visual acuity measurements, and in vivo measurements of retinal oxidative metabolism. We found that global sGCα1 deletion impairs visual function and RGC health in aging female mice, while male mice remained unaffected. Glucose uptake was significantly disrupted in female sGCα1^-/-retinas with age, and accompanied by reduced retinal expression of the glucose transporter, GLUT1. Aged sGCα1^-/- females also exhibited dysregulated retinal mitochondrial gene and protein expression and increased nitrosative stress localized to the RGC layer. RGC mitochondria in male mice increased in size with age, while female mitochondria did not. Furthermore, retinal metabolic analysis showed decreased oxygen consumption rate in aged female but not male sGCα1^-/-retinas, suggesting impaired oxidative metabolism. These findings reveal a potential sex-specific role for cGMP signaling in maintaining retinal metabolic integrity and RGC function with age. Our results point to a possible mechanistic link between impaired cGMP signaling and age-related retinal neurodegeneration in females, highlighting the sGC-cGMP signaling pathway as a promising therapeutic target for glaucoma and other CNS neurodegenerative diseases.

Related Products:

Glaucoma

Publications on Glaucoma

Journal Clubs related to Glaucoma

Journal Club: RIP1 Inhibition Protects Retinal Ganglion Cells in Preclinical Glaucoma Models

Journal Club: Aging and Injured Retinal Ganglion Cells Can Be Rejuvenated by Epigenetic Reprogramming

Webinar: AcuiSee – Rodent Visual Acuity Using Behavioral Conditioning

Journal Club: The role of Nogo-A in visual deficits induced by retinal injury.

Striatech supports Glaucoma Research

News on Glaucoma

Supporting the Future of Vision Science: Striatech ARVO Travel Grant 2025

Can Aging Be Reversed?

World Sight Day and Blindness Awareness Month

Expert to Expert Interview with Dr. Jeff Jamison (Experimentica Ltd)