Chromatin dynamics secondary to dexamethasone exposure identifies 67 genes linked to elevated IOP and primary open-angle glaucoma.

Dexamethasone-treated primary human trabecular meshwork cells reveal 67 IOP- and POAG-associated genes, linking steroid-induced chromatin remodeling to elevated IOP risk.

• Why it matters: Elevated intraocular pressure is the only modifiable risk factor for primary open-angle glaucoma, yet how genetic variation interfaces with steroid-driven IOP biology is unclear.
• What they did: Three trabecular meshwork cell strains were exposed to dexamethasone, followed by a high-resolution promoter-centered chromatin contact map and regulatory module analysis, then integration with GWAS variants.
• The result: Integration identified 29 IOP target genes tied to 23 lead IOP variants and 57 POAG genes tied to 46 POAG variants (19 shared), plus 103 noncoding lead variants with regulatory roles.

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