The announcement during World Glaucoma Week emphasizes the need to find a cure for this disease that affects more than 60 million people worldwide.
Three days of events uniting research, industry, and philanthropy to prevent vision loss from glaucoma and speed the cure.
What is Normal-tension glaucoma? Also called low-tension or normal-pressure glaucoma, normal-tension glaucoma (NTG) is a condition in which the optic nerve is damaged without eye pressure exceeding the average range (usually between 12-21mm Hg).
At present, the only FDA approved method of treating glaucoma is to lower eye pressure; this slows the progression of glaucomatous optic nerve damage but does not completely halt it, and certainly does not regenerate damaged nerve tissue.
Stem cells may have the potential to protect the optic nerve from further damage and slow the progression of vision loss due to glaucoma. Stem cells may also have the potential to replace ocular tissues that have degenerated in eyes with glaucoma.
The Glaucoma Research Foundation mission is to cure glaucoma and restore vision through innovative research.