Stem Cells Used To Cure Blindness
A remarkable new trial into using stem cells in an attempt to cure blindness has taken place in the UK.
Two people have had stem cells transplanted into their eyes as part of a clinical trial to restore their sight. Both patients have corneal blindness and up to this point, the only possible cure is a transplant of cornea tissue from an organ donor.
The donor stem cells were grown by the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service who ran the trial along with NHS Lothian and NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde.
Doctors hope new eye treatments represent the future of medicine
The procedure, to use its full name, is corneal epithelial stem cell transplantation, represents one of the first of a new generation of regenerative therapies.
Stem cells are grown in a laboratory and attached to a membrane which is then transplanted onto the cornea.
As with most medical trials, it will be several months before doctors will find out how successful the procedure has been. Sylvia Paton, from Edinburgh was the first person to have the transplant.
Patients are currently forced to live in dark sunglasses
Mrs Paton has to wear dark glasses outdoors on even the dullest of days, and has no night vision. She is extremely short-sighted and currently has virtually no vision in her left eye as a result of the cornea damage and a cataract.
She said: “The way I try and describe it to people is that if you can imagine walking along the street or driving on an extremely sunny day, and thinking ‘I really need sunglasses here’, it’s like that even on a dull day.”
Operation to repair a person’s sight expected to be a success
Dr Ashish Agrawal, the consultant ophthalmologist from NHS Lothian who performed the operation, said: “It is now 12 weeks since the transplant and I am delighted to report that Sylvia is recovering well.
“Her cornea is clear and I hope that it will continue to maintain clarity. However, this is the first and the major step in the complex visual rehabilitation process and she will require further surgical treatment to restore vision.”
Mrs Paton could previously only make out dark and light through the eye, but it is hoped that the treatment will help repair her cornea, which in turn will clear the way for surgeons to carry out a cataract operation in a year’s time.
Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon said: "This pioneering new treatment could potentially restore sight and improve the lives of many patients, and it is vital that we continue to invest in innovative projects such as this one. If it proves to be successful, we could see many more people benefit as a result.”
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