Dr. Gill McLellan Receives BrightFocus Foundation Award

Glaucoma remains a leading cause of vision loss globally, and it is estimated that over 76 million people will be affected this disease by 2020. There is mounting evidence that a chemical growth factor, transforming growth factor-Beta (TGF-β), plays an important role in processes that lead damage to the optic nerve, resulting in vision loss.

The $150,000 research grant from the BrightFocus Foundation seeks to understand how we might protect the optic nerve from damaging effects of TGF-β and test a promising new treatment strategy for glaucoma patients by re-purposing an existing drug to block TGF-β and preserve vision.