Glaucoma is a common complex disease that leads to irreversible blindness worldwide. Even though preclinical studies showed that lowering intraocular pressure (IOP) could prevent retinal ganglion cells loss, clinical evidence suggests that lessening IOP does not prevent glaucoma progression in all patients. Glaucoma is also becoming more prevalent in the elderly population, showing that age is a recognized major risk factor. Indeed, recent findings suggest that age-related tissue alterations contribute to the development of glaucoma and have encouraged exploration for new treatment approaches. In this review, we provide information on the most frequently used experimental models of glaucoma and describe their advantages and limitations. Additionally, we describe diverse animal models of glaucoma that can be potentially used in translational medicine and aid an efficient shift to the clinic. Experimental animal models have helped to understand the mechanisms of formation and evacuation of aqueous humor, and the maintenance of homeostasis of intra-ocular pressure. However, the transfer of pre-clinical results obtained from animal studies into clinical trials may be difficult since the type of study does not only depend on the type of therapy to be performed, but also on a series of factors observed both in the experimental period and the period of transfer to clinical application. Conclusions: Knowing the exact characteristics of each glaucoma experimental model could help to diminish inconveniences related to the process of the translation of results into clinical application in humans.

Background and Aim: Stem cell therapy is considered a promising treatment for several neurodegenerative diseases. However, there are very few studies on the use of this therapy in glaucoma models. By detecting the changes produced by glaucoma early, cell therapy could help prevent the events that lead to blindness. In this study, early changes in the optic nerve head (ONH) as detected by optical coherence tomography (OCT) after the application of human Wharton’s jelly-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (hWJ-MSCs) in an experimental model of ocular hypertension (OH) were evaluated. Materials and Methods: Fifteen New Zealand rabbits were randomly divided into the following three groups: G1: OH, G2: hWJ-MSCs, and G3: OH + hWJ-MSCs. An OH model was constructed, and the intraocular pressure (IOP) was measured regularly. At week 7, 105/100 μL hWJ-MSCs were intravitreally injected. Retinography and OCT were used to evaluate structural changes in ONH. Results: IOP increased significantly in G1 and G3 from week 3 onward. Retinography revealed more significant optic nerve changes, that is, papillary asymmetry suggestive of optic nerve excavation, vascular alterations, and irregular hypopigmentation peripheral to the optic disk margin, in G1 compared with G3. OH locates the hWJ-MSCs solution in the vitreous in front of the optic nerve. OCT revealed retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) reduction in all groups, reduced optic cup volume in G2 and G3 between weeks 1 and 9, and significant ganglion cell layer thickness reduction in G1 and a slight increase in G3. Conclusion: Intravitreal hWJ-MSCs injection produced changes in optic cup volume, which were detected early on by OCT; however, RNFL could not be restored in this OH model. Keywords: glaucoma, mesenchymal stromal cell, ocular hypertension, optic nerve head, optical coherence tomography, rabbit.