After eye injuries, retinal neurons are protected by immune cells flowing into the site of damage, reported scientists from Israel in the Journal of Experimental Medicine.
The group of Michal Schwartz of the Weizmann Institute studied the consequences of injuries to the retina of the eyes in mice. Scientists have found that a few days after an eye injury, macrophages – the cells that feed the immune system – enter the retina.
The authors observed that in the retina of the eye, macrophages produce proteins that suppress inflammation, which helps to reduce inflammation caused by trauma and protects nerve cells from death. Moreover, the influx of macrophages stimulates the neutral stem cells existing in healthy eyes to divide and differentiate in order to replace the damaged neurons during the injury.
The scientists emphasize that their discovery requires further research to answer the question of whether and to what extent the described mechanism of regeneration can be used in the treatment of eye diseases in humans. (PAP)