Stem Cell Transplantation from Donor Eyes Could "Cure Blindness"

Scientists have created a new hope for healing blindness after stem cell transplants have dramatically improved the sight of visually impaired patients in just 18 months.

A study of 13 individuals with limbal stem cell deficiency found that stem cell transplant from deceased donor corneas helped to improve patient vision, reduce pain and facilitate reading.

The researchers say that, although at the beginning, the "promising" research shows a "potential for safe eye cell surgery by stem cells".

Scientists have created a new hope of healing blindness after stem cell transplants have significantly improved the sight of patients with visual impairment in just 18 months (stock)

The research was conducted by the University of Edinburgh and led by Professor Balijean Dhillon, the chair of Clinical Ophthalmology.

"The results of this small study are very promising and show the potential of safe eye stem cell surgery as well as improvements in eye repair," said Professor Dhillon.

"Our next steps are to better understand how stem cells could promote tissue repair to treat diseases that are extremely difficult to treat, and if, and how, they could help restore vision."

Scientists badyzed 13 people with limbal stem cell deficiency (LSCD).

In healthy people, the cells that line the surface of the cornea – the outermost layer of the eye – regenerate continuously.

These stem cells come from a bank located in the limb – the border of the cornea and the white part of the eye, called sclera.

People with LSCD can not regenerate these stem cells, resulting in pain, scarring and severe vision loss that can lead to blindness.

This condition can be caused by damage due to heat, chemicals or a condition called aniridia, ie the lack of iris.

In the study, stem cells were cultured from corneal samples taken from the eyes of organ donors within 24 hours of their deaths.

Stem cells have the unique ability to grow into any type of specialized cell in the body.

The cells were then grown on an amniotic membrane – a tissue removed from the placenta that promotes healing – before being grafted onto eight patient's eyes.

The remaining patients were just transplanted with an amniotic membrane and acted as controls.

All patients had their immune systems removed to prevent them from rejecting the transplant.

They also all received eye drops containing growth promoting chemicals.

After 18 months, five of the treated patients and four of the controls reported a clearer vision, which was not statistically different.

The similar results – published in Stem Cells Translational Medicine – between the two groups may be due to the beneficial eye drops that all participants received.

But only members of the treated group experienced a "significant and lasting improvement" in their ocular surface scores (OSS), the authors wrote.

Open source software takes into account vision, eye pain, the feeling of "granulosity", sensitivity to light and the ease with which a person can read, drive, use a computer and watch television.

In terms of side effects, two of the treated patients and one of the controls had intraocular pressure – swelling in the eye.

The researchers believe that this may be due to the steroid injection that the participants received after the transplant "according to the standard treatment".

Overall, there were no serious side effects, they add.

Although the results are "promising", the researchers pointed out that the study was only intended to prove the safety and feasibility of the transplant. Therefore, further tests are needed, they added.