Department of Ophthalmology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA.
Department of Developmental Biology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA.
Biomolecules. 2021 Aug 24;11(9):1258. doi: 10.3390/biom11091258.
Glaucoma is clinically characterized by elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) that leads to retinal ganglion cell (RGC) and optic nerve damage, and eventually blindness if left untreated. Even in normal pressure glaucoma patients, a reduction of IOP is currently the only effective way to prevent blindness, by either increasing aqueous humor outflow or decreasing aqueous humor production. The trabecular meshwork (TM) and the adjacent Schlemm's canal inner wall play a key role in regulating IOP by providing resistance when aqueous humor drains through the tissue. TM dysfunction seen in glaucoma, through reduced cellularity, abnormal extracellular matrix accumulation, and increased stiffness, contributes to elevated IOP, but current therapies do not target the TM tissue. Stem cell transplantation for regeneration and re-functionalization of damaged TM has shown promise in providing a more direct and effective therapy for glaucoma. In this review, we describe the use of different types of stem cells for TM regeneration in glaucoma models, the mechanisms of regeneration, and the potential for glaucoma treatment using autologous stem cell transplantation.
青光眼的临床特征为眼内压（IOP）升高，导致视网膜神经节细胞（RGC）和视神经损伤，如果不治疗，最终会导致失明。即使在正常眼压性青光眼患者中，降低眼压目前仍是预防失明的唯一有效方法，可通过增加房水流出或减少房水生成来实现。小梁网（TM）和相邻的施莱姆氏管内壁通过在房水通过组织时提供阻力，在调节眼压方面起着关键作用。青光眼时 TM 功能障碍，表现为细胞减少、细胞外基质异常堆积和硬度增加，导致眼压升高，但目前的治疗方法并不针对 TM 组织。干细胞移植用于再生和功能化受损 TM 已显示出在为青光眼提供更直接和有效的治疗方面的前景。在这篇综述中，我们描述了不同类型的干细胞在青光眼模型中用于 TM 再生的应用、再生的机制以及使用自体干细胞移植治疗青光眼的潜力。
