The publications defined that the eye, similar to the brain, has a highly polarized fluid transport system that exports amyloid-beta. Amyloid-beta has been implicated in Alzheimer diseases and in the eye in loss of retinal ganglion cells in glaucoma. The concept of a fluid transport system in the optic nerve is novel and important because it creates a framework that enable studies of disturbed fluid transport as a disease mechanism. The textbook concept is that the optic nerve only allows electrical signals to pass from the eye to the brain. We have shown that the optic nerves also transport fluid and metabolic waste products from the eye to the brain. Diseases of the eye, including glaucoma and macular degeneration, are very common and affects the life of a large proportion of the world’s population. Our mechanistic understanding of these diseases is still limited. Thus, there is no cure, and a limited number of treatments exists. Age-related ocular diseases, including glaucoma and macular degeneration involve abnormal accumulation of neuronal metabolic waste products. The overall objective of the project is to describe the ocular glymphatic system. We have not encountered problems in the studies and have been moving ahead as outlined in the proposal. Our most important publication published in 2020 defined the existence of the ocular glymphatic system. The publication has received considerable interest. This development is important for the society because it creates insight into new strategies for development of therapeutic of glaucoma and macular degeneration. We have concluded the experiments and we are in the midst of writing the final publications.
