Stem cells: New opportunities to treat eye diseases

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

48 Scopus citations

Abstract

Emerging evidence suggests that multipotential stem cells-progenitors, isolated from the brain, spinal cord, and eye hold considerable promise to elucidate fundamental issues of brain development and treat neurodegenerative diseases. Therapeutic applications of neural stem cells have special appeal for the treatment of otherwise intractable degenerative diseases of the eye. However, the field of neural stem cell research is relatively nascent. Many issues related to the therapeutic use of neural stem cells-progenitors have not yet been addressed. Strategies must be developed to identify and enrich neural stem cellsprogenitors in a practical way. In addition, identification of optimal conditions for their maintenance, storage and differentiation into desirable cell types for cell-replacement therapy is critical. Therefore, the true potential of these cells in brain repair can only be realized with more information about mechanisms that regulate their proliferation and differentiation and by development of techniques that allow their prospective identification and enrichment.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)2743-2748
Number of pages6
JournalInvestigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science
Volume42
Issue number12
StatePublished - 2001

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Ophthalmology
  • Sensory Systems
  • Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience

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