Stem cells against corneal burn
Italian scientists have described a method of restoring the vision of some patients with severe corneal burns (the upper shell of the eye) using stem cells grown in the laboratory.
The ultra–thin cornea is the most vulnerable part of the eye, because it does not have much protection. It can be damaged by a firecracker, steam from boiling liquid, battery acid, chemicals and even eggs exploding when opening the door of the microwave oven.
Burns as a result of exposure to fire are rare, because, as a rule, if it comes to this, then the person is no longer a tenant. Nevertheless, it happens. In patients with mild burns, the prognosis is favorable, and in people with deep burns, limbal stem cells are damaged, which leads to severe glaucoma.
The drawing shows a horizontal section of the right eyeball.
A limb is called a dividing strip with a width of 1.0-1.5 mm
between the cornea and the sclera.
"With the exception of stem cell treatment, patients have almost no alternatives," says study co–author Graziella Pellegrini, head of the cell therapy department at the Center for Regenerative Medicine (Italy).
Existing methods of treating severe burns involve extracting stem cells from the healthy eyes of a patient, relative or other person, and transferring them directly to the damaged cornea, but the results of treatment leave much to be desired due to the insufficient number of stem cells that can be extracted without damaging the donor eye.
The new approach makes it possible to multiply stem cells isolated from a 1-2 mm2 biopsy site of the limb in laboratory conditions. During 14-16 days of cultivation, the researchers managed to grow a living contact lens that completely covers the cornea.
This method was applied to the treatment of 112 patients. In 76.6% of cases, vision was fully restored, in 13.1% – partially. There were no improvements in 10.3% of patients, partly due to complications due to the depth of the burn.
In general, only half of the patients with severe burns had their corneas revived. To all people with lighter burns, vision returned completely.
The most interesting thing is that this method worked in relation to patients who survived burns many years ago. One of them lost sight in one eye as a result of alkali ingestion thirty years ago! His vision did not fully return to him, but a stable layer of the new cornea was able to grow.
The cost of treatment is relatively small: only $ 20-30.000. And this is another good news. The only negative point is that it is unknown how long the new cornea will last. Some patients, however, have been living well with her for ten years now.
The results of the study are published in the New England Journal of Medicine: Paolo Rama et al., Limbal Stem-Cell Therapy and Long-Term Corneal Regeneration.
Prepared based on the materials of Health Day: Stem Cell Technique Restores Sight to Burn-Injured Eyes Stem Cell Technique Restores Sight to Burn-Injured Eyes.
Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru based on the materials of "Compulents"24.06.2010