Topical Application of a Collagen Mimetic Peptide Restores Peripapillary Scleral Stiffness Reduced by Ocular Stress
<b>Background:</b> The biomechanical properties of ocular tissues are critical to physiological processes that span ocular development, aging, and disease. The structural integrity of these tissues is important in mediating how the eye responds to strain and stress that pose challenges t...
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MDPI AG
2025-06-01
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| author | Lauren K. Wareham Ghazi O. Bou Ghanem Kristin L. Clark Eric Schlumpf Brian J. Del Buono David J. Calkins |
| author_facet | Lauren K. Wareham Ghazi O. Bou Ghanem Kristin L. Clark Eric Schlumpf Brian J. Del Buono David J. Calkins |
| author_sort | Lauren K. Wareham |
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| description | <b>Background:</b> The biomechanical properties of ocular tissues are critical to physiological processes that span ocular development, aging, and disease. The structural integrity of these tissues is important in mediating how the eye responds to strain and stress that pose challenges to physiological homeostasis. In the posterior segment, the peripapillary sclera and lamina separate the intraocular chamber and the fluid-filled subarachnoid space. Degradation of each contribute to pathogenic progression in multiple conditions and are largely determined by the integrity and architecture of collagen fibers, especially type I collagen. <b>Methods:</b> We used atomic force microscopy to measure how stress induced by elevations in intraocular pressure impacts stiffness of the peripapillary sclera and glial lamina in the rat eye and whether changes in stiffness could be influenced by topical treatment of a reparative mimetic of type I collagen. <b>Results:</b> Four weeks of elevated intraocular pressure reduced Young’s modulus in peripapillary sclera and glial lamina, coincident with reduced anterograde transport along the optic projection to the brain. Reduction in tissue stiffness correlated with an increase in fragmented collagen. Topical application of collagen mimetic peptide during the period of elevation countered both. <b>Conclusions:</b> Collagen remodeling occurs in many ocular conditions that influence the peripapillary sclera and glial lamina, including glaucoma and myopia. Our results suggest that topical application of collagen mimetic peptides that intercalate with and repair collagen damaged by disease processes could serve to mitigate changes in tissue stiffness and integrity due to degraded collagen. |
| format | Article |
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| institution | Kabale University |
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| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
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| spelling | doaj-art-0faaae901a7144d4ad15b5ef80bcbe862025-08-20T03:29:45ZengMDPI AGPharmaceuticals1424-82472025-06-0118687510.3390/ph18060875Topical Application of a Collagen Mimetic Peptide Restores Peripapillary Scleral Stiffness Reduced by Ocular StressLauren K. Wareham0Ghazi O. Bou Ghanem1Kristin L. Clark2Eric Schlumpf3Brian J. Del Buono4David J. Calkins5Vanderbilt Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USAVanderbilt Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USAVanderbilt Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USAStuart Therapeutics, Inc., Stuart, FL 34994, USAStuart Therapeutics, Inc., Stuart, FL 34994, USAVanderbilt Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA<b>Background:</b> The biomechanical properties of ocular tissues are critical to physiological processes that span ocular development, aging, and disease. The structural integrity of these tissues is important in mediating how the eye responds to strain and stress that pose challenges to physiological homeostasis. In the posterior segment, the peripapillary sclera and lamina separate the intraocular chamber and the fluid-filled subarachnoid space. Degradation of each contribute to pathogenic progression in multiple conditions and are largely determined by the integrity and architecture of collagen fibers, especially type I collagen. <b>Methods:</b> We used atomic force microscopy to measure how stress induced by elevations in intraocular pressure impacts stiffness of the peripapillary sclera and glial lamina in the rat eye and whether changes in stiffness could be influenced by topical treatment of a reparative mimetic of type I collagen. <b>Results:</b> Four weeks of elevated intraocular pressure reduced Young’s modulus in peripapillary sclera and glial lamina, coincident with reduced anterograde transport along the optic projection to the brain. Reduction in tissue stiffness correlated with an increase in fragmented collagen. Topical application of collagen mimetic peptide during the period of elevation countered both. <b>Conclusions:</b> Collagen remodeling occurs in many ocular conditions that influence the peripapillary sclera and glial lamina, including glaucoma and myopia. Our results suggest that topical application of collagen mimetic peptides that intercalate with and repair collagen damaged by disease processes could serve to mitigate changes in tissue stiffness and integrity due to degraded collagen.https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8247/18/6/875collagenmyopiaglaucomamimetic peptidesatomic force microscopy |
| spellingShingle | Lauren K. Wareham Ghazi O. Bou Ghanem Kristin L. Clark Eric Schlumpf Brian J. Del Buono David J. Calkins Topical Application of a Collagen Mimetic Peptide Restores Peripapillary Scleral Stiffness Reduced by Ocular Stress Pharmaceuticals collagen myopia glaucoma mimetic peptides atomic force microscopy |
| title | Topical Application of a Collagen Mimetic Peptide Restores Peripapillary Scleral Stiffness Reduced by Ocular Stress |
| title_full | Topical Application of a Collagen Mimetic Peptide Restores Peripapillary Scleral Stiffness Reduced by Ocular Stress |
| title_fullStr | Topical Application of a Collagen Mimetic Peptide Restores Peripapillary Scleral Stiffness Reduced by Ocular Stress |
| title_full_unstemmed | Topical Application of a Collagen Mimetic Peptide Restores Peripapillary Scleral Stiffness Reduced by Ocular Stress |
| title_short | Topical Application of a Collagen Mimetic Peptide Restores Peripapillary Scleral Stiffness Reduced by Ocular Stress |
| title_sort | topical application of a collagen mimetic peptide restores peripapillary scleral stiffness reduced by ocular stress |
| topic | collagen myopia glaucoma mimetic peptides atomic force microscopy |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8247/18/6/875 |
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