A research team from Japan has reported a breakthrough in the medical treatment of eye diseases. Using stem cell transplantation, a rare corneal disease was cured and vision was restored.
The most important thing in brief
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The treatment of some vision diseases, including blindness, has previously been difficult or impossible.
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A recent study from Japan shows that stem cell transplants led to long-term improvements in vision in four patients.
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However, researchers point out that the method still needs to be tested in further studies.
Stem cell research reports further success in the treatment of people with diseases of the visual organ. Like a recently published one Study in the medical journal “The Lancet”, four people with visual impairment were able to improve their vision through stem cell transplantation. This is reported by the magazine “Nature”.
The results are impressive. “This is an exciting development,” said Kapil Bharti, stem cell researcher at the US National Eye Institute in Bethesda, commenting on the results of the study. The results would suggest treating more patients, according to the scientists.
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Study: Patients treated with rare corneal disease
The study, conducted in Osaka, involved four people – two women and two men aged 39 to 72 Limbal stem cell insufficiency (LSCD) in both eyes. The rare eye condition is characterized by the depletion of the stem cell pool of the limbal ring, a dark ring around the iris. The stem cells normally ensure that the outermost layer of the cornea is maintained. Depletion leads to the formation of Scar tissue on the cornea.
LSCD can be congenital or the result of an autoimmune disease. However, the most common causes include burns, chemical burns or mechanical injuries, for example from contact lenses. Symptoms of LSCD include pain, painful sensitivity to light, inflammation or excessive blood vessel ingrowth – in the worst case, the disease can also lead to Go blind lead. Corneal blindness affects around ten million people worldwide – including a significant number of children.
Doctors usually have one for stem cell treatment Transplantation of corneal cells taken from the healthy eye. However, the method involves a number of risks. This can result in rejection of the transplant, infections, glaucoma or injury to the structures in the eye. If both eyes are affected by the disease, corneal transplants from deceased donors are used. However, the recipient’s immune system can also reject them.
Using new cell source: Vision restored
An alternative cell source was therefore used for the study. The research team presented Corneal transplants with the help of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS). Through artificial reprogramming, these cells become similar to embryonic stem cells. The scientists took blood cells from healthy donors and reprogrammed them into an embryonic-like state. The cells were then transformed into a thin, transparent layer of cobblestone-shaped corneal epithelial cells. This was then used to replace the patient’s damaged skin by first scraping off the scar tissue. The researchers then sewed on epithelial sheets from a donor and covered the eye with a soft protective contact lens.
The result after two years: No serious side effects were reported in any of the recipients. The transplants neither formed tumors, which poses a risk with growing iPS cells, nor did the patients’ immune systems show signs of rejection. The researchers also made the observation for those patients who were not taking any immunosuppressive medication. All four people showed one immediate improvement in vision. Furthermore decreased after the transplant corneal surface affected by LSCD. Only one recipient experienced slight declines within a year.
Further clinical examinations planned
“It is important and a relief that the transplants were not rejected,” says stem cell researcher Bharti. However, further transplants are required to ensure the safety of the procedure.
However, it is still unclear to the scientist what the reason is Improving vision is attributable. Possible Reasons could be the proliferation of the transplanted cells in the cornea or the removal of scar tissue before the transplant. Likewise, the return of vision could also be due to the transplant causing the recipient’s own cells to migrate from other regions of the eye and renew the cornea.
In light of the positive results, the researchers announced that they would begin further clinical studies in March. “These success stories show that we are on the right tracksaid Bharti.
