It's estimated that more than 400,000 Canadians live with glaucoma. That number may be much higher, since the disease comes on slowly, and people may not realize they have it until major damage has already been done.
But because the disease progresses slowly for most patients, there is a chance for doctors to stop it in its tracks. Neuroprotection, or shielding the optic nerve from damage, offers a way to do just that.
Dr. Sivak and his team, along with collaborators, have discovered a molecule that could protect the delicate optic nerve, thus sparing people from gruelling surgeries or, in the worst-case scenario, a life without sight.
"Neuroprotection is kind of an ultimate goal for glaucoma treatment," says Dr. Sivak, who also holds the Chair in Glaucoma Research at UHN.
In addition to preventing the disease from getting worse, it might even be possible to reverse the damage that's been done, says Donald K. Johnson Eye Institute clinical fellow Dr. David Mathew, who's researching neuroprotection with Dr. Sivak.
"Right now, we have no proven way to definitively reverse the damage. All treatments are aimed at stopping or slowing down the disease progression," he says. "That would be a big boon to our patients."
Read more about the work of Dr. Sivak and his team
