Tara Tovar-Vidales

Tara Tovar-Vidales, Ph.D.

Instructor
Center for Anatomical Sciences
College of Biomedical and Translational Sciences
University of North Texas Health Science Center
Ft. Worth, TX 76107
tara.tovar-vidales@unthsc.edu

Ph.D. Biomedical Sciences. University of North Texas HSC.
M.S. Ph.D. Biomedical Sciences. University of North Texas HSC.
B.S. Biology. University of the Incarnate Word

Curriculum Vitae

Research

My research goal is to understand the pathology of the trabecular meshwork (TM) and the optic nerve head (ONH) in glaucoma. The TM is the main dynamic resistor that regulates the aqueous humor outflow and causes elevated intraocular pressure in the anterior chamber of the eye. This elevated pressure is transduced toward the back of the eye and results in a remodeling of the ONH. The ONH is the resident of two types of cells, ONH astrocytes and lamina cribrosa cells (LC). ONA and LC cells have been implicated in the pathophysiology of glaucoma. I focus primarily on growth factors and their signaling pathways to determine if they alter mRNA and protein expression of the TM and the ONH cells. I wish to understand the roles of these growth factors in normal tissue and in the glaucoma pathophysiology.

Selected Publications

• Mirna expression in glaucomatous and tgfβ2 treated lamina cribrosa cells. Lopez, N. N., Rangan, R., Clark, A. F. & Tovar-Vidales, T., 2 Jun 2021, In: International journal of molecular sciences. 22, 12, 6178.
• Isolation and characterization of human optic nerve head astrocytes and lamina cribrosa cells. Lopez, N. N., Clark, A. F. & Tovar-Vidales, T., Aug 2020, In: Experimental eye research. 197, 108103.
• Human trabecular meshwork cells express BMP antagonist mRNAs and proteins. Tovar-Vidales, T., Fitzgerald, A. M. & Clark, A. F., 1 Jun 2016, In: Experimental eye research. 147, p. 156-160 5 p.
• Identification and localization of lamina cribrosa cells in the human optic nerve head. Tovar-Vidales, T., Wordinger, R. J. & Clark, A. F., 1 Jun 2016, In: Experimental eye research. 147, p. 94-97 4 p.
• Transforming growth factor-β2 induces expression of biologically active bone morphogenetic protein-1 in human trabecular meshwork cells. Tovar-Vidales, T., Fitzgerald, A. M., Clark, A. F. & Wordinger, R. J., 2013, In: Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science. 54, 7, p. 4741-4748 8 p.
• Perfusion-cultured bovine anterior segments as an ex vivo model for studying glucocorticoid-induced ocular hypertension and glaucoma. Mao, W., Tovar-Vidales, T., Yorio, T., Wordinger, R. J. & Clark, A. F., Oct 2011, In: Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science. 52, 11, p. 8068-8075 8 p.
• Transforming growth factor-beta2 utilizes the canonical Smad-signaling pathway to regulate tissue transglutaminase expression in human trabecular meshwork cells. Tovar-Vidales, T., Clark, A. F. & Wordinger, R. J., Oct 2011, In: Experimental eye research. 93, 4, p. 442-451 10 p.
• Focus on Molecules: Transglutaminase 2 Tovar-Vidales, T., Clark, A. F. & Wordinger, R. J., Jul 2011, In: Experimental eye research. 93, 1, p. 2-3 2 p.
• Tissue transglutaminase expression and activity in normal and glaucomatous human trabecular meshwork cells and tissues. Tovar-Vidales, T., Roque, R., Clark, A. F. & Wordinger, R. J., Feb 2008, In: Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science. 49, 2, p. 622-628 7 p.
• Effects of TGF-β2, BMP-4, and gremlin in the trabecular meshwork: Implications for glaucoma. Wordinger, R. J., Fleenor, D. L., Hellberg, P. E., Pang, I. H., Tovar, T. O., Zode, G. S., Fuller, J. A. & Clark, A. F., Mar 2007, In: Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science. 48, 3, p. 1191-1200 10 p.