Glaucoma is the leading cause of irreversible blindness, affecting more than 80 million people worldwide. Current treatments help manage symptoms, but they don’t stop the disease from getting worse. Now, two researchers at The University of North Texas Health Science Center (UNTHSC) believe they’ve found a way to target a root cause of glaucoma—something scientists once thought was impossible. Learn about the groundbreaking idea that recently won them a research grant from the National Eye Institute, a part of the National Institutes of Health.*

Innovation at Work

It was during a casual breakfast meeting that Dr. David Siderovski and Dr. Abbot Clark, both professors of  pharmacology and neuroscience at UNTHSC, discussed a new idea: What if they could block a protein called Gremlin-1 (GREM1), which raises pressure inside the eye and leads to vision loss? 

Gremlin-1 is a protein that disrupts natural protective processes in the eye, making glaucoma worse. But for a long time, scientists considered it “undruggable” because it doesn’t have the usual structures that medicines attach to, like enzymes or receptors.

Using Artificial Intelligence to Find a Solution

Recent advances in artificial intelligence (AI) and molecular research have changed the game. The research team is using a high-tech method called in silico docking, in which AI simulates how different drug compounds might interact with a protein, in this case GREM1. The technique allows them to test billions of potential treatments much faster than traditional methods would.

“In this new AI era, the notion of an undruggable target is outdated,” Siderovski says. “By combining in silico docking with biological testing, we hope to pioneer a new approach to glaucoma and create an innovative treatment.”

Once they find a promising compound, Clark’s lab will test it on cell samples and mouse models to see if it can lower eye pressure—the main risk factor for glaucoma. If their approach works, it could lead to the first treatment that doesn’t just slow the progress of glaucoma, but actually stops it from getting worse.

*Havlik, M. (2025, January 22). CBTS researchers receive National Eye Institute grant. The University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth. Retrieved from https://www.unthsc.edu/newsroom/story/cbts-researchers-receive-national-eye-institute-grant/ 

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