Proteome of the anterior segment structure in relation to glaucoma

Glaucoma is a heterogeneous group of diseases that is characterized by structural changes in the optic nerve head, which can lead to blindness. Although the endpoint pathology in glaucoma is damage to the retinal ganglion cells and optic nerve, glaucoma also involves tissues in the anterior segment. The pathogenesis of glaucoma has been widely studied; however, the mechanisms causing it are not completely understood. Proteomic approaches have provided new insights into the pathogenesis of glaucoma. These technologies have helped to identify changes in the extracellular matrix and alterations in cytoskeletal proteins of the trabecular meshwork, in addition to the role of autoimmunity and oxidative damage. In this review, we describe the proteomic approaches that have been used to study protein alterations in the anterior segment as related to glaucoma in addition to some of the mechanisms that these technologies have helped to elucidate.