Biomechanics of the Mouse Sclera in Glaucoma

 
Experiments have s
hown that the sclera of human glaucoma eyes show measurable and statistically significant differences in the mechanical properties and collagen structure from that of age-match glaucoma eyes.  Whether these differences are natural variations that predisposes an individual to the development of glaucoma damage or the product of tissue remodeling induced by glaucoma damage cannot be determined in cross-sectional study of human eyes.  To understand the effect of these material variations on the development of glaucoma, we are using mouse models to study the relationship between the collagen/elastin structure and the mechanical properties of the sclera and their associations with glaucomatous optic neuropathy.  Mouse models allows for a longitudinal study of the effects of scleral biomechanics on the development of glaucoma damage.  Furthermore, they provide important opportunities to manipulate the composition and structure of the ocular connective tissues by chemically treating the animals in vivo or by gene knockout techniques.


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Our research aims are

  1. 1)Measure the mechanical properties and collagen structure of the mouse posterior sclera using inflation test with digital image correlation (DIC) and wide angle x-ray scattering (WAXS).  

  2. 2)Compare the effects of induced chronic IOP elevation on mechanical properties of the sclera and optic nerve damage.

  3. 3)Perform experiments on multiple mouse strains to compare the effects of baseline properties on scleral remodeling and optic nerve damage. 

  4. 4)Develop micromechanism-based constitutive models for the growth and remodeling of the tissues in response to mechanical loading.


Students

Dan Midgett


Collaborators
Kristin Myers, PhD

    Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Columbia University


Craig Boote, PhD

    Lecturer, School of Optometry and Vision Sciences, Cardiff University


Harry A.  Quigley, MD

    A. Edward Maumenee Professor of Ophthalmology
    Director, Glaucoma Center of Excellence

    Johns Hopkins Medical School