Umbilical stem cells help retinal neurons grow
4 Jan 2016 by Evoluted New Media
Cells found in human umbilical cord tissue could be used in future treatment of degenerative eye diseases.
Cells found in human umbilical cord tissue could be used in future treatment of degenerative eye diseases.
The cells in have been found to produce thrombospondins, which are believed to help retinal neurons grow, connect and survive, according to researchers from Duke University.
Retinal neurons and human umbilical cord tissue cells (hUTC) were bathed in the same fluid without touching each other. New connections were observed between synapses as well as the growth of neurites. During the course of their experiments, thrombospondin (TSP) 1, 2 and 4 were found to be responsible for the effects seen on neurons.
More research is needed as when TSP1, 2 and 4 were inhibited cell longevity was not affected, although the number of connections formed between neurons was.
Assistant professor of cell biology and neurobiology at Duke University Medical Centre, Cagla Eroglu, said: “By learning more about how these cells work, we are one step closer to understanding the disease states in which these cells should be studied.”
Eroglu said it was exciting that thrombospondins had a really strong effect on neurite outgrowth. Making neurites and forming new connections between them were crucial for helping injured neurons grow, he said.
Previous studies have shown astrocytes – glial cells traditionally thought of as support cells in the central nervous system - release thrombospondins and these proteins boost synapse formation between neurons in the brain.
The research was published in the Journal of Neuroscience.
