Stem cell therapy for corneal damage demonstrates success in clinical trials
Harvard Medical School (HMS; MA, USA) surgeons have seen success in Phase I clinical trials of their recently developed stem cell therapy for the repair of damage to the cornea.
Harvard Medical School (HMS; MA, USA) surgeons have seen success in Phase I clinical trials of their recently developed stem cell therapy for the repair of damage to the cornea. The treatment, known as cultivated autologous limbal epithelial cell transplantation (CALEC), was able to replace the ocular surface of four patients who experienced chemical burns to the eye.
During CALEC therapy, a small sample of stem cells is taken from the limbal area of the patient’s healthy eye – these cells are responsible for maintaining the barrier between the cornea and the conjunctiva, the white areas of the eye.
The stem cells are then grown on a membrane substrate and transplanted onto the cornea of the damaged eye. Once a healthy surface has been restored, a corneal transplant can be performed.
In the trial, four out of five patients had a successful CALEC transplant, however one patient’s stem cells did not grow well enough to be transplanted. Nonetheless, the technique’s feasibility was established with no immediate safety concerns, and Phase II trials are on the horizon.
“Our team has put a tremendous amount of effort into developing the procedures for growing the grafts. So many conditions have to be just right so that the cells grow and the patient is safe. If we continue to be successful we will be able to give these patients with this condition a healthy surface of the eye, and possibly even restore vision to some,” commented Ula Jurkunas (HMS), an associate professor of ophthalmology.
A similar stem-cell based therapy, the conjunctival limbal autograft (CLAU) technique, is currently used for this type of eye damage. However, this requires a larger sample of stem cells to be removed from the patient’s healthy eye when compared to CALEC, potentially leading to damage.
Alternative therapies have also included the transplantation of an artificial cornea, which is associated with a risk of infection and the development of glaucoma.
Notably, CALEC (and CLAU) utilize the patients’ own cells in their therapy – greatly reducing the risk of rejection and preventing the need for medications such as steroids or immunosuppressive drugs.
“Using the patient’s own stem cells is a big step for regenerative medicine,” concluded Jurkunas. “With this clinical trial, we hope to pave the way for better care for patients with corneal blindness, who have long needed better solutions for their condition.”
Ref:https://www.regmednet.com/stem-cell-therapy-for-corneal-damage-demonstrates-success-in-clinical-trials/
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