Stem-cell treatment restores vision in patients with corneal damage

A groundbreaking stem-cell treatment has restored vision in patients with severe corneal damage, marking a major advance in regenerative medicine. The treatment, which uses induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells, was successfully tested on four patients with limbal stem-cell deficiency (LSCD), a condition that causes blindness due to scar tissue on the cornea.

The procedure involved reprogramming healthy donor blood cells into iPS cells, which were then transformed into corneal epithelial cells to create a transplantable, transparent sheet, Caliber.Az reports citing foreign media.

The stem-cell sheets were grafted onto the patients' damaged corneas, after scar tissue was removed. The results, published in The Lancet, showed significant and lasting improvements in vision for three out of the four participants, with the effects persisting for over a year. The fourth patient also saw improvements, but they were not sustained.

This method offers a promising alternative to traditional corneal transplants, which often involve risks such as immune rejection or limited availability of donor tissue. Researchers noted that the grafts did not cause tumors or immune rejection, even in two patients who did not receive immunosuppressive drugs. While more research and trials are needed to confirm the long-term safety and effectiveness of the treatment, the results are seen as a significant step forward in the use of stem-cell therapies for eye diseases.

Plans for larger clinical trials are set to begin in March, with similar iPS-cell-based treatments being tested globally for various eye conditions. Researchers are hopeful that this new approach could help many others suffering from corneal blindness.

By Vafa Guliyeva