- Researchers Estimate That More than 10 Million People Worldwide Live With Corneal Blindness Caused by Disease Orjury to The Eye’s Cornea.
- Unilateral Limbal Stem Cell Deficiety (LSCD) is a Type of Corneal Disease Caused by Certain Injuries that can lead to vision loss.
- A New Clinical Trial Is Testing a Potential New Stem Cell Treatment for LSCD.
- REPORDED THAT REPORDED 50% OF TREATED STUDY PARTICIPENTS EXPERIENCED COMPLETE CORNA RESTORATION AFTER 3 months.
As of 2019, Researchers Estimate That More than 10 Million People Globally Live With Corneal Brindness Due to Disease Orjury to The Eye’s Cornea.
The Cornea is The Outermost Clear Layer on the Front of the Eye. It is vital for Clear Vision, as it provides
UNILATERAL LIMBAL Stem Cell Deficiety (LSCD) is a corneal ease that occurs when there is a shortage of the limbal stem cells that typically regenerate the cornea as Needed. This Can Lead to Eye Pain, Blurred Vision, and Even Vision Loss.
Lscd can be caused by corneal injuries, such
Currently, Treatments for LSCD include emergic options, Such As Limbal Stem Cell Transplants, as well as Corneal Scraping and Amniotic Membrane Patching.
ULA JURKUNAS, MD, ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF THE CORNA SERVICE AT MASS EYE AND EAR, AND PROFESSOR OF OPHTHALMOLOGY AT HARVARD MEDICAL SCHOOL, TOLD Medical News Today That:
“Current Treatment Options for Limbal Stem Cell Deficiety Caused by Cornea Injuries have considerable limitations, including injury to the Healthy Eye from Remival of Stem Cells, or Limited Effectiveness. Because of this deficiency, they are unable to Undergo A Cornea Transplant, The Current Standard of Care, and they are offend Left Blind in the AFFEED EYE AND IN GREAT PAIN. ”
Jurkunas is the main investigation of a clinical trial testing a potential new stem Cell Treatment for LSCD.
She is also the lead author of a study recently published in the journal
Testing Novel Calec Stem Cell Therapy for Eye Damage
This Clinical Trial Revolved Around an Experimental Stem Cell Therapy Calleed Cultivated Autologous Limbal Epithelial Cells (CALEC), Which Had reportedly Been Develop The Byloped by Researchers in The Mass General Brigham Healthcare System.
“In the calec procedure, A Vary Small Biopsy is performed in a Patient’s Healthy Eye, Which Removs to Small Amount of Limbal Cells,” Jurkunas Explained. “Then, The Cells are Transported to a GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices) Facility at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, where they are expanded on Scaffold, to Process that Takes About Two to Three Weeks.”
“The resulting stem cell graft is The Broucht Back to Mass Eye and Ear, where it is transplaced into the Patient’s Damaged Eye,” She continues. “After Brief Recovery, The Stem Cell Graft Replenishes The Limbal Stem Cells and Restors The Cornea’s Surface. AT This Point, A Patient Can Undergo A Cornea Transplant, or in the case of subject patients in our study, do not need further cornea treatment. ”
“We Felt it was important to find new options for Our Patients that are safe to the donor and recipient eye, and effective,” jurkunas added. “We Feel The Calec Procedure Fills Sub of these Current Gaps, and Our Study Finds It Was Safe and Feasible, and Led to Improvements in the Cornea Surface.”
50% Achieved Complete Corneal Restoraration in 3 months
At the Study’s Conclusion, Researchers Found the Calec Treatment Completely Restored The Cornea of 50% of the 15 Study Participants Recruited for This Clinical Trial Trial At Their 3-Month Follow-Up.
Additionionally, Their Complete Success Rate Increased to 79% at The 12-Month Mark and 77% By 18 Months After Treatment.
“BeSe Findings are significant scholarship is shows that Calec’s Effectiveness Improved Overtime, Which Can Translate into a Lasting Benefit for Patients Who Undergo Siece Treatments,” Jurkunas Said.
Refers Also Reported to High Safety Profile for Calec, With No Serious Issues Occurring To Eithher The Donor or Reconcient Eyes.
“Sub existing methods to replenish limbal epithelial cells do not have a high of safety profile; For Example Risking The Healthy Donor Eye Through the incision required to remove Cells, ”Jurkunas Explained.
“Calec, However, Did Have a High Safety Profile for Patients. Only One Infection Occurred, and that was not due to the calepp Transplant itelf. This is very important, Because for a procedure to be widely used, it needs to be a safe option for patients, ”She Emphasized.
As for the Next Steps of This Clinical Trial, Jurkunas Said They Plan to Expand to A Phase 3 Study of Calec, That include Randomized Design Testing It Against A Different Treatment:
“Additionionally, We are working to see (IF) This Stem Cell Transplant is Feasible IF it is allogenic (from A Separate Donor), rather than motorogous (from the Patient’s Healthy Eye). An Allogenic Approach May Benefit Patients Who Have Substaned An Impurity, Like A Chemical Burn, In Bush Eyes. ”
‘Really exciting’ Findings According to Eye Experts
MNT Had the Opportunity To Speak With Benjamin Bert, MD, A Board-Certified Ophthalmologist at Memorialcare Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, Ca, About This Study, Who Commented That Any Developments, Specially In This Area of Treating of Treating Corneal IMPORTANT AND VERY EXCITING.
“The Limbal Stem Cells Are Cells that we are born with and then do not produces an Additionional During Our Lifetime, So If There’s Damage to Thue, It’s Irrevable Somowat,” Bert Explained. “So the ability to repopulate Those Damaged Cells Using Our Own Cells is a Really Exciting Idea.”
“Previous, The Only Way To Fix This Was With A Transplant from A Cadaver Donor,” I have continued. “And There’s Such A Hage Blood Supply to this Part of the Cornea That People had to full systemic immunosuppression, as if they had a kidney transplant or a lung transplant, and we know that hoos medications have Major Side Effects. So Being Uble to Repopulate BeSe Damaged Cells Using Our Own Cells Avoids All of Those Potential Complications. ”
For Future Research, Bert Said He was like to see it continues to progress, and see Feasible It was wouled be on a Larger Scale.
“The description of how they’re uble to culture before Cells require it, ”I have added.
