Never before has such an operation been carried out in the world. In Japan, stem cells were transplanted into the eyes of four people. This unprecedented clinical trial allowed three of them to regain their sight.
This is a crucial step for advances in stem cell research, assures Science Alert. Two years after the injection of these cells into the corneas of patients, no serious safety problems were noted. Three of the four patients now display a much more transparent cornea than before.
A surgical solution that only benefits one in 70 patients
These people had a disease that caused scar tissue to build up on the cornea, gradually obscuring their vision. This presents as limbal stem cell deficiency (LSCD). The limbus is the part that connects the eyeball and the cornea, like a frame that attaches a window to a wall.
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Patients with this condition currently have a surgical option, where tissue is manually removed and replaced with a slice of cornea from the other eye. But a donor is essential in cases where the disease extends to both eyes.
However, the solution from Osaka University Hospital, presented in The Lancet, holds many hopes. Because of the 12.7 million people affected by this eye deficiency, only one in 70 is eligible for a transplant. Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) are therefore intended to be a much more accessible remedy.
A promising future therapeutic option for patients
They are derived from healthy human blood cells and transformed into sheets of corneal epithelial cells. This step is done through reprogramming of cells at the embryonic level. These cell sheets are then applied to the eye after vision-obstructing tissue has been removed and protected with a contact lens.
“To our knowledge, this study provides the first description of iPSC-derived cellular constructs transplanted into or onto the cornea of patients, and it represents a promising future therapeutic option for people with LSCD.”explains the team from Osaka University Hospital.
But this process remains experimental and potentially dangerous for now. If three patients obtained a benefit in their vision, the fourth initially experienced an improvement in her vision before experiencing a relapse. This was the person with the greatest deficit.
Despite the encouraging results, other clinical trials must take place to make the most of this work on stem cells.
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