International Journal of Molecular Sciences Review The Genetic and Endoplasmic Reticulum-Mediated Molecular Mechanisms of Primary Open-Angle Glaucoma 1, 1, 2 3 Wioletta Rozp˛edek-Kami´nska y , Radosław Wojtczak y, Jacek P. Szaflik , Jerzy Szaflik and Ireneusz Majsterek 1,* 1 Department of Clinical Chemistry and Biochemistry, Medical University of Lodz, 90-419 Lodz, Poland;
[email protected] (W.R.-K.);
[email protected] (R.W.) 2 Department of Ophthalmology, SPKSO Ophthalmic Hospital, Medical University of Warsaw, 03-709 Warsaw, Poland; jacek@szaflik.pl 3 Laser Eye Microsurgery Center, Clinic of Jerzy Szaflik, 00-215 Warsaw, Poland; jerzy@szaflik.pl * Correspondence:
[email protected]; Tel.: +48-42-272-53-00 These authors contributed equally to this work. y Received: 27 April 2020; Accepted: 9 June 2020; Published: 11 June 2020 Abstract: Glaucoma is a heterogenous, chronic, progressive group of eye diseases, which results in irreversible loss of vision. There are several types of glaucoma, whereas the primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) constitutes the most common type of glaucoma, accounting for three-quarters of all glaucoma cases. The pathological mechanisms leading to POAG pathogenesis are multifactorial and still poorly understood, but it is commonly known that significantly elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) plays a crucial role in POAG pathogenesis. Besides, genetic predisposition and aggregation of abrogated proteins within the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) lumen and subsequent activation of the protein kinase RNA-like endoplasmic reticulum kinase (PERK)-dependent unfolded protein response (UPR) signaling pathway may also constitute important factors for POAG pathogenesis at the molecular level.