Dr. Philip Mzyk from University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine Awarded $70,000 Knights Templar Eye Foundation Grant to Study Juvenile Glaucoma

Dr. Philip Mzyk from the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine was awarded a $70,000 grant for his research entitled: Role of fibronectin extra domain A (FN-EDA) in glaucomatous trabecular meshwork damage

Juvenile-onset open angle glaucoma is an eye disease that affects individuals between the ages of three and 40 years of age. Although the disease is rare, it is serious and untreated it is a major cause of juvenile blindness. Juvenile glaucoma is usually caused by increased pressure inside the eye, which is due to resistance to the flow of the normal circulation of the fluid within the eye. The buildup of pressure in the eye can damage the visual sensing structures in the back of the eye, leading to blindness. The goal of this project is to better understand the mechanisms involved in the buildup of pressure in the eye. In his research he will be using human cells as well as a mouse model that has similar characteristics to those patients with juvenile glaucoma.

“I applied for this grant with great encouragement from my mentor, Dr. McDowell. Being selected to receive the Knights Templar Career-Starter Research Grant is a tremendous honor. These funds will allow me to investigate a specific pathway in the eye that will hopefully begin to uncover how we can better prevent blinding diseases in children, all while working towards becoming an independent investigator.” – Dr. Philip Mzyk

Dr. Mzyk will also use genetically engineered mice that will allow him to study specific characteristics of cells in the eye that are more or less susceptible to glaucoma damage. Changes to the cells that regulate pressure in the eye will be evaluated over a 2- to 6-month time course in order to determine onset and extent of damage. These experiments will help identify pathways of pressure buildup that will serve as new targets for the development of effective glaucoma treatments. These experiments also may lead to the discovery of more sensitive ways to diagnose glaucoma and follow glaucoma progression.