Transcription profiling of human GFAP-negative lamina cribrosa cells TGF-beta regulated gene transcription and protein expression

Primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) is a progressive optic neuropathy, which is a major cause of worldwide visual impairment and blindness. Pathological hallmarks of the glaucomatous optic nerve head include retinal ganglion cell axon loss and extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling of the lamina cribrosa layer. TGF-beta is an important pro-fibrotic modulator of ECM metabolism, whose levels are elevated in human POAG lamina cribrosa tissue compared with non-glaucomatous controls. We treated human lamina cribrosa (LC) cells with TGF-beta1 (10ng/ml) for 24 hours in order to examine differential gene expression patterns in repsonse to this cytokine. In particular we focused on ECM and fibrotic genes. We found that TGF-beta1 induces expression and release of ECM components in LC cells, which may be important in regulating matrix remodeling in the lamina cribrosa. In disease states such as POAG, the LC cell may represent an important pro-fibrotic cell type and an attractive target for novel therapeutic strategies.