This technology is an approach for improved glaucoma risk prediction and treatment that measures the levels of glycolysis-related metabolites.
Glaucoma is an incurable, neurodegenerative disease that is the leading cause of permanent blindness. With current tools, glaucoma is difficult to diagnose until serious visual impairment arises; therefore, early detection and intervention methods are needed. Polygenic risk scores are used to stratify individuals based on their risk of developing glaucoma. However, some individuals with the highest risk never develop the disease. Understanding the rationale behind this resilience in high-risk individuals and leveraging this knowledge to treat patients with the disease is necessary.
This technology is a metabolomics-based enhancement to polygenic risk scoring for glaucoma. It leverages elevated levels of glycolysis-related metabolites, which are associated with increased resilience in individuals genetically predisposed to the disease. By integrating these metabolite levels with traditional polygenic risk scores, the approach enables more refined risk prediction and helps identify individuals who may be more resistant to developing glaucoma. Additionally, the technology includes functional validation through dietary pyruvate supplementation in mice, demonstrating the potential of these metabolites to reduce glaucoma symptoms and serve as a therapeutic strategy.
This technology has been validated in a humanized mouse model.
Patent Pending
IR CU25150
Licensing Contact: Kristin Neuman