Survival and Regeneration of Retinal Cells After Injury Promoted by Dental Pulp Stem Cells

July 8, 2014

(Medical News Today) – Researchers at the University of Birmingham, UK, led by Dr. Ben Scheven, Dr. Wendy Leadbeater and Ben Mead have discovered that stem cells isolated from the teeth, termed dental pulp stem cells (DPSC), can protect retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) from death following injury and promote regeneration of their axons along the optic nerve. RGC loss is the leading cause of blindness and can arise through traumatic injury or degenerative diseases such as glaucoma.