Biotech Updates

Mice Study Hints that Stem Cells Could Prevent Glaucoma

July 27, 2016

A study led by Veterans Affairs and University of Iowa has suggested that an infusion of stem cells could help lessen the risk for glaucoma. These were the findings of Dr. Markus Kuehn and his team of researchers on their study of stem cells in mice.

Dr. Kuehn's team injected stem cells into the eyes of mice with glaucoma. The stem cell injection caused a proliferation of new endogenous cells in the trabecular meshwork, which serves as a drain for the eyes to avoid fluid buildup that leads to glaucoma.

A promising feature of this study is that the type of stem cells used could be created from cells harvested from the patient's own skin. The team was able to get these stem cells to grow into trabecular meshwork cells by culturing them in a solution conditioned by actual human trabecular meshwork cells.

The researchers are confident that their results are promising for the most common form of glaucoma. However, they are not yet sure if it is applicable to other forms of the disease, which needs further study.

For more on this study, read the article in the US Department of Veterans Affairs website.