Called the posterior ocular lymphatic outflow, or POLO pathway, it carries fluid and waste out of the eye and into the body’s lymphatic system. A cleanup route connects eye diseaseGlaucoma, macular degeneration and other retinal disorders are associated with excess fluid, metabolic waste, tissue stress and inflammation. “This gives us a whole new framework for understanding these diseases and a potential target for therapeutics,” said Dr. Gupta. Dr. Gupta and Dr. Yeni Yücel, professor and director of ophthalmic pathology at the University of Toronto, began questioning that view in 2009. “This is a foundational discovery that shows the eye is not as closed a system as we previously thought,” said Dr. Gupta.