What the researchers discovered is that the lamina progenitor cells may be responsible for insulating the fibers immediately after they leave the eye, supporting the connections between nerve cells on the pathway to the brain. The long nerve cell fibers extend from the retina through the lamina, into the optic nerve. Less than 1 millimeter wide, the lamina lies between the light-sensitive retina tissue at the back of the eye and the optic nerve. Bernstein and his team examined a narrow band of tissue called the optic nerve lamina. 'The presence of neural stem/progenitor cells opens the door to new treatments to repair damage to the optic nerve, which is very exciting news.' This may lead to permanent vision loss and disability,' said Dr. Without these cells, the nerve is unable to repair itself from damage caused by glaucoma or other conditions. 'This is the first time that neural progenitor cells have been discovered in the optic nerve. Blind spots can develop in a patient's visual field that gradually widen over time.

This nerve damage is usually related to increased pressure in the eye due to a buildup of fluid that does not drain properly.

More than 3 million Americans have glaucoma, which results from damage to the optic nerve, causing blindness in 120,000 U.S. The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health's National Eye Institute (NEI), and a number of distinguished researchers served as co-authors on the study. 'Without these cells, the fibers may lose their resistance to stress, and begin to deteriorate, causing damage to the optic nerve, which may ultimately lead to glaucoma.' 'We believe these cells, called neural progenitor cells, are present in the optic nerve tissue at birth and remain for decades, helping to nourish the nerve fibers that form the optic nerve,' said study leader Steven Bernstein, MD, PhD, Professor and Vice Chair of the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.

Optic nerve atrophy stem cell treatment