Guan (Gary) Xu, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, and Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering, is breaking new ground in glaucoma research thanks to significant support from both The Glaucoma Foundation and the National Science Foundation.

The Glaucoma Foundation

With support from The Glaucoma Foundation, Dr. Xu and his team, which is comprised of imaging and biomechanics experts from UM-Dearborn and includes collaborating eye surgeon Sayoko Moroi, M.D., Ph.D., Professor Emerita, Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, currently Professor and Chair of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, are developing new ways to visualize and study the eye’s aqueous drainage pathway, the route through which fluid exits the eye. When this pathway malfunctions, it can lead to glaucoma. “Dr. Moroi previously observed that stiffer tissue in the sclera is linked to glaucoma, but the mechanism hasn’t been fully proven,” says Dr. Xu. “Understanding how tissue stiffness influences eye pressure can help identify better surgical targets and lead to more personalized glaucoma treatments.” Alan Argento, Ph.D., Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Director of the Bioengineering Program at UM-Dearborn, examines how tissues around this drainage pathway flex or change shape as eye pressure changes. The team has recently implemented new methods to not only analyze the structure but also directly measure fluid movement through the system. Their goal is to connect changes in tissue characteristics to eye pressure, offering new insights into how glaucoma develops.

National Science Foundation

Dr. Xu’s second award, from the National Science Foundation, supports further study of how fluid flows through the eye’s drainage pathways. While most research focuses on the front sections of the pathways, such as Schlemm’s canal and the trabecular meshwork, Dr. Xu’s team is unique in its examination of the distal vessels and tissues at the far end of the drainage pathway, areas that remain poorly understood. “By focusing on these underexplored regions, we hope to uncover new causes of resistance to fluid drainage that may contribute to glaucoma, and, ultimately, reveal more effective treatment approaches,” he says. The team will combine advanced imaging and pressure measurements to determine how differences in tissue stiffness or softness within the distal pathways relate to eye pressure and glaucoma development. Insights from this work could pave the way for better-targeted therapies and improved outcomes for patients.