Stem cells and glaucoma

Abstract

Patients frequently ask about the applicability of stem cell research and therapy for their glaucoma. Stem cell therapies do offer significant promise in glaucoma. Like other neuro-degenerative diseases where stem cells may be of benefit, glaucoma offers logical targets for stem cell therapy. For glaucoma, these are the optic nerve and the trabecular meshwork. In Parkinson's disease, stem cells delivered to the basal ganglia have proven to have significant therapeutic benefit. © 2010 Springer-Verlag New York.