Stem cells in the eye to help tackle glaucoma

SCIENTISTS think they have found cells that could help treat glaucoma, a leading cause of sight loss.

The condition is caused by pressure on the optic nerve. Now a team at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in the U.S. have identified stem cells that are in the eye from birth that they say help encourage growth of this part of the eye. Over time these optic nerve cells die off, which may be a factor in glaucoma.

The hope is they can now identify growth factors that stimulate the production of new stem cells, reports the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.