Umbilical Cord Cells Help Retinal Neurons Grow and Connect

"Cells isolated from human umbilical cord tissue have been shown to produce molecules that help retinal neurons from the eyes of rats grow, connect and survive, according to Duke University researchers working with Janssen Research & Development, LLC," reports Medical News Today. "The findings, which appear Nov. 25 in the Journal of Neuroscience, implicate one family of molecules in particular -- thrombospondins -- that may have therapeutic potential for the treatment of degenerative eye diseases." Read more.