The Inflation Response of Mouse Sclera: Age Effects on the Mechanical Properties of Scleral Tissue

The mouse model offers an opportunity to investigate how alterations to the connective soft tissue contribute to the development of disease through the study of transgenic and diseased mouse strains. For example, by measuring the deformation response of the eye wall to increases in pressure of these different mouse types, the possible role of ocular tissue material properties in glaucomatous damage can be determined. Glaucoma is one of the leading causes of blindness in the United States and in the world with an estimate of 60 million people affected by this year [1]. It is caused by damage to the retinal ganglion cells (RGC), a type of neuron that transmits visual information to the brain. Despite therapeutic efforts to reduce the rate of vision loss in glaucoma patients, the rate of blindness remains high [2]. There is evidence that elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) is a strong risk factor for the disease [3–5], and it is hypothesized that possible alterations in the time-dependent scleral material properties may play an important role in cumulative RGC death.