# Chromatin maps of dexamethasone-treated eye cells link 67 genes to high eye pressure and glaucoma

- Published: 2026-11-13 08:19 UTC
- Section: Life & Health › Medicine
- Tags: primary open-angle glaucoma, intraocular pressure, dexamethasone, chromatin contacts, trabecular meshwork cells, GWAS variants, noncoding variants, steroid-induced IOP
- URL: https://realtech.media/news/rt-cc5b9dd435ef71755d190fd2_chromatin_maps_of/

**In cultured human trabecular meshwork cells, dexamethasone-induced chromatin changes were matched to GWAS variants for intraocular pressure and primary open-angle glaucoma.**

![Chromatin maps of dexamethasone-treated eye cells link 67 genes to high eye pressure and glaucoma](https://realtech.media/media/2026/11/94003c81c797a1c2.jpg)
*Pignol23, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0*

Researchers modeled elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) by treating three primary human trabecular meshwork cell strains with dexamethasone, according to a study in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences [1]. Primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) is a chronic neurodegenerative disorder, and elevated IOP is its only modifiable risk factor [1]. The authors generated a high-resolution map of promoter-centered chromatin contacts and regulatory modules in these cells [1].

They report dynamic changes in chromatin compartments and looping, cis-regulatory elements and transcription factor hubs, matching altered expression profiles [1]. Combining genome-wide association study variants with the dexamethasone-induced chromatin landscape, the authors linked 29 target genes to 23 lead IOP variants and 57 genes to 46 POAG variants; 19 genes are shared [1].

Pathway analysis of the 67 IOP- and POAG-associated genes showed enrichment in vesicle transport, TLR, MAPK and hippo-YAP signaling [1]. The authors also report a transcriptional regulatory role for 103 noncoding lead variants [1]. They describe the results as a mechanistic framework for the genetics of steroid-induced IOP and related POAG pathology.

## Sources

1. [Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences](https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2609070123)

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Source: RealTech, realtech.media — https://realtech.media/news/rt-cc5b9dd435ef71755d190fd2_chromatin_maps_of/