The potential of brimonidine for myopia treatment: Targeting MMP-2 to regulate choroidal thickness and control eye growth

Abstract

Drug treatment studies are a focal point for identifying novel approaches to reduce myopia progression through basic science research. Here, we investigated the effects of various brimonidine administration routes and concentrations on form-deprivation myopia (FDM) progression, matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2), and collagen alpha1 chain of type I (COL1A1) expression in the retinal pigment epithelial (RPE)-choroid complex and sclera of guinea pigs. They demonstrate that brimonidine has the capacity to impede choroidal thinning induced by FDM, potentially through the induction of choroidal vasodilation. Additionally, we observed that brimonidine effectively counteracts FDM-induced downregulation of choroidal and scleral MMP-2 expression. Suppression of MMP-2 expression may reduce disruption of scleral and choroidal structural integrity which reduces declines in choroidal blood circulation and mitigates increases in ocular elongation. This research elucidates the effects of brimonidine on myopia progression, offering potential insights into therapeutic interventions for myopia.