Stem Cells Open the Door to Possible Optic Nerve Damage Repair

When doctors catch glaucoma early, they’re able to lower eye pressure with medicine or surgery, and this can slow progression of the disease and prevent significant vision loss. Unfortunately, too-little-too-late describes the diagnosis and treatment experience of far too many glaucoma patients.

Glaucoma results from damage to the optic nerve, and the optic nerve is the epicenter of the eye—it makes vision possible by transmitting signals from the eye to the brain. The optic nerve damage that causes glaucoma is usually related to increased pressure in the eye due to a buildup of fluid that does not drain properly. The primary problem with conventional glaucoma treatment is that it focuses on the main risk factor, which is eye pressure, without addressing the underlying reason for vision loss, which is damage to the optic nerve.

But That Could Change. Researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine have for the first time identified stem cells in the region of the optic nerve. The finding presents a new theory on why the most common form of glaucoma—open angle glaucoma—may develop, and provides potential new ways to treat the disease.

What they discovered is that these newly identified stem cells may be responsible for supporting optic nerve cells on their way to the brain. The researchers believe these stem cells are present at birth and remain there for decades, helping to nourish the fibers that form the optic nerve. Without these cells, they theorize, the fibers could begin to deteriorate and cause damage to the optic nerve, which might ultimately lead to glaucoma.

Age-Related Vision Disorders. The researchers responsible for this discovery say their finding may prove to be a game-changer for the treatment of all eye diseases that affect the optic nerve, and that if the growth factors that these stem cells secrete can be identified, they may play a role in slowing the progression of glaucoma, as well as other age-related vision disorders.

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