PNAS: Significant progress! Scientists identify optic neural stem cells for the first time, or can treat vision loss!

Currently, more than 3 million Americans suffer from glare and cause blindness in 120,000 patients.
glare is a disease caused by damage to the optic nerve, which is usually associated with the intra-eye room water not being discharged properly, resulting in increased pressure in the eye.
over time, the patient's visual blind spots will gradually expand.
Recently, researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) identified stem cells for the first time in the optic nerve region, where stem cells transmit signals from the eye to the brain, and have come up with a new theory that explains why glastrophic eyes develop and offers potential new treatments for the disease.
the study was led by Dr. Steven Bernstein, a professor in the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) under the title "The optic nerve lamina region is a neural progenitor ni Dr Steven Bernstein, lead author of the study, said: "We believe that these cells, called neural stem cells, are present in the optic nerve tissue at birth and remain in the optic nerve tissue for decades, helping to nourish the nerve fibers that form the optic nerve.
without these cells, nerve fibers can lose resistance to stress and begin to deteriorate, causing damage to the optic nerve and eventually glasoma.
, "This is the first time neural stem cells have been found in the optic nerve, " says Dr Bernstein.
these cells, the nerves would not be able to repair themselves from glacial eye or other diseases.
can lead to permanent vision loss and disability.
the presence of neural stem cells has opened the door to new treatments to repair optic nerve damage, which is very exciting news.
study, Dr. Bernstein and his team examined a narrow-band tissue called a optic nerve sieve.
is less than 1 mm wide and is located between the photoretinal tissue and the optic nerve at the back of the eye.
long nerve cell fibers from the retina through the optic nerve screen, extending to the optic nerve.
researchers found that sieve stem cells may insulate nerve fibers as soon as they leave the eyeball, supporting the connection between nerve cells that lead to the brain.
stem cells in the visual nervous sieve niche (lamina niche) soak the extension of these neurons with growth factors and help them form insulation.
researchers identified the presence of these stem cells by using antibodies and genetically modified animals that identified specific protein markers on neural stem cells.
, Dr Bernstein, said: "After 52 trials, we have successfully cultured sieve stem cells in the medium, a challenging process.
" period, Dr. Bernstein and his collaborators needed to determine growth factors and other cell culture conditions that are most conducive to stem cell growth and replication.
, the team found that stem cells could be induced to differentiate into several different types of nerve cells.
these include neurons and glial cells, which are important for cell repair and cell replacement in different brain regions.
may change treatment strategies for eye diseases that affect the optic nerve.
Bernstein and his team plan to use genetically modified mice to see how the depletion of sieve stem cells can lead to diseases such as glascape and prevent cell repair.
Bernstein added: "Further research is needed in the future to explore the repair mechanism of neural stem cells."
if we can identify the key growth factors secreted by these cells, they may be used as cocktail therapy to slow the progression of glastrophic eyes and other age-related visual impairments, " he said.
, executive vice president of medical affairs at the University of Maryland at Baltimore, E. "This exciting finding could make a huge difference in the field of age-related vision disorders," said Dr. Albert Reece, Dean of the University of Maryland School of Medicine John Z. and Professor Akiko K. Bowers.
millions of glare patients urgently need new treatments, and we think this study will give them new hope.
" Reference: S. L. Bernstein et al, The optic nerve lamina region is a neural progenitor cell niche, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2020). DOI: 10.1073/pnas.200185811 !-- !--7