Zeitschrift für klinische und experimentelle Ophthalmologie
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Recent Advances: Transglutaminase in Ocular Health and Pathological Processes

Louis Tong, Evelyn Png, Wanwen Lan and Andrea Petznick

Transglutaminase (TG) is a diverse class of crosslinking enzymes involved in the regulation of cytokine production, endocytosis, cell adhesion, migration, apoptosis and autophagy. It has been implicated in inflammatory diseases, neurodegenerative processes and cancer. The eye is a specialized organ which subserves the important function of vision and has distinctive physiological and anatomical properties that differ from other body tissues. Understanding of the roles of various TGs in the eye therefore require studies specific to cells and tissues of ocular origin. We review the advances in TG research in ocular diseases, including pterygium, glaucoma, cataract and proliferative vitreoretinopathy. TG1 is a molecule important for keratinisation in many cicatrizing diseases of the ocular surface, including keratoconjunctivitis sicca. TG2, with multiple functions, has been shown to be important in inflammation and cell adhesion in various ocular diseases. The results of TG research in each region of the eye are critically assessed and the implications of these studies in the treatment of ocular diseases are discussed. By modifying wound healing process and influencing the amount of inflammation in animal models of human ocular diseases, TG-related strategies are now a possibility for selected clinical scenarios. For example, the use of retinoic acid for severe dry eye has undergone clinical trials. However, in many other areas, more research in selection of specific targets, time of intervention, specific method of delivery of interventional molecules, and safety of therapy in humans may be necessary. One promising area in the future is the use of a TG strategy to modify conjunctival wound healing to increase success rates after glaucoma surgery.