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Advances In Curing Corneal Illnesses Using Stem Cells
February 16, 2004The University School of Clinical Medicine has developed a new technique for the treatment of corneal illnesses. It involves transplanting from the cornea stem cells which have previously been grown in the laboratory.
According to the explanation provided by Doctor Javier Moreno, director of Ophthalmology and Doctor Felipe Pr'łsper, responsible for Cellular Therapy at the University School of Clinical Medicine, "the surgical technique employed is similar to that published in other countries. The importance here lies in the novel growth method for the culture of corneal stem cells.
This culture system provides the advantage of achieving cells of particular quality, which influences recovery of the damaged cornea ". This surgical technique has been employed with a number of patients who have had stem cells implanted in the cornea using this new method, with the result that there is a clear improvement in the transparency of the cornea, quite notable in some cases, confirming the efficacy of this new method of cell culture growth.
Description
The cornea can become damaged due to a number of reasons: burns, blows, inflammatory pathologies of the cornea or herpes infections. When these ailments appear, the stem cells responsible for maintaining transparent the cornea surface are damaged and, thus the cornea becomes opaque and vision is impaired partially or even totally.
The surgical technique involves the extraction of a small piece of the periphery from the cornea of the healthy eye where the stem cells are found and the subsequent growth in culture in the laboratory and finally, their implantation in the damaged eye. The growth culture technique devised at the Clinical University separates these stem cells from others in the cornea, selects those with the greatest possibilities of multiplication, and determines the most suitable moment with the greatest capacity for proliferation for their implantation into the damaged eye.
Until now the treatment of this type of damage was a corneal transplant or the transplant of the amniotic membrane which does not have the capacity of producing transparency in the surface of the cornea. Now, by means of the growth of stem cells extracted from the cornea of a healthy eye, we can regenerate the surface of the damaged eye's cornea.
In the cases treated with the new system to date, the damaged ocular surface has been partially or totally recovered and all cases have experienced positive development, taking into account that some patients have been under observation for more than 6 months.
The only possible complication with this operation is that the stem cells do not reproduce in the damaged cornea and the eye is the same as before the operation. The Clinical University has carried out this technique in multidisciplinary co-operation with the Department of Ophthalmology, which selects the candidate patients and carries out the extraction from the donor and the implantation of the cultivated stem cells. The Cellular Therapy laboratory, under Dr. Felipe Pr'łsper, is responsible for the growing of the cell cultures and the Cytology expert in the Pathological Anatomy service, Dr. Maria Dolores Lozano, carried out the analyses on the corneal cells before and after their implantation.
Elhuyar Fundazioa
Description
The cornea can become damaged due to a number of reasons: burns, blows, inflammatory pathologies of the cornea or herpes infections. When these ailments appear, the stem cells responsible for maintaining transparent the cornea surface are damaged and, thus the cornea becomes opaque and vision is impaired partially or even totally.
The surgical technique involves the extraction of a small piece of the periphery from the cornea of the healthy eye where the stem cells are found and the subsequent growth in culture in the laboratory and finally, their implantation in the damaged eye. The growth culture technique devised at the Clinical University separates these stem cells from others in the cornea, selects those with the greatest possibilities of multiplication, and determines the most suitable moment with the greatest capacity for proliferation for their implantation into the damaged eye.
Until now the treatment of this type of damage was a corneal transplant or the transplant of the amniotic membrane which does not have the capacity of producing transparency in the surface of the cornea. Now, by means of the growth of stem cells extracted from the cornea of a healthy eye, we can regenerate the surface of the damaged eye's cornea.
In the cases treated with the new system to date, the damaged ocular surface has been partially or totally recovered and all cases have experienced positive development, taking into account that some patients have been under observation for more than 6 months.
The only possible complication with this operation is that the stem cells do not reproduce in the damaged cornea and the eye is the same as before the operation. The Clinical University has carried out this technique in multidisciplinary co-operation with the Department of Ophthalmology, which selects the candidate patients and carries out the extraction from the donor and the implantation of the cultivated stem cells. The Cellular Therapy laboratory, under Dr. Felipe Pr'łsper, is responsible for the growing of the cell cultures and the Cytology expert in the Pathological Anatomy service, Dr. Maria Dolores Lozano, carried out the analyses on the corneal cells before and after their implantation.
Elhuyar Fundazioa
Stem Cells Current Events and Stem Cells News RSSNew discovery about the formation of new brain cells
The generation of new nerve cells in the brain is regulated by a peptide known as C3a, which directly affects the stem cells' maturation into nerve cells and is also important for the migration of new nerve cells through the brain tissue, reveals new research from the Sahlgrenska Academy published in the journal Stem Cells.
Umbilical cord blood stem cell transplant may help lung, heart disorders
Two separate studies published in the current issue of Cell Transplantation (18:8), - now freely available on-line have shown that transplanted human-derived umbilical cord blood (UCB) stem cells transplanted in an animal model had positive therapeutic effects on specific lung and heart disorders the animal models.
Gene mismatch influences success of bone marrow transplants
A commonly inherited gene deletion can increase the likelihood of immune complications following bone marrow transplantation, an international team of researchers reports in the November 22 advance online issue of Nature Genetics.
New research shows versatility of amniotic fluid stem cells
For the first time, scientists have demonstrated that stem cells found in amniotic fluid meet an important test of potential to become specialized cell types, which suggests they may be useful for treating a wider array of diseases and conditions than scientists originally thought.
First reconstitution of an epidermis from human embryonic stem cells
Stem cell research is making great strides. This is yet again illustrated by a study carried out by the I-STEM* Institute (I-STEM/ Inserm UEVE U861/AFM), published in the Lancet on 21 November 2009. The I-STEM team, directed by Marc Peschanski has just succeeded in recreating a whole epidermis from human embryonic stem cells.
Bone Implant Offers Hope for Skull Deformities
A synthetic bone matrix offers hope for babies born with craniosynostosis, a condition that causes the plates in the skull to fuse too soon.
Your Own Stem Cells Can Treat Heart Disease
The largest national stem cell study for heart disease showed the first evidence that transplanting a potent form of adult stem cells into the heart muscle of subjects with severe angina results in less pain and an improved ability to walk. The transplant subjects also experienced fewer deaths than those who didn't receive stem cells.
Is hepatic differentiation of embryonic stem cells induced by valproic acid and cytokines?
Embryonic stem (ES) cells, known for their capacity to proliferate indefinitely and differentiate into almost all types of cells including hepatocytes, have raised the hope of cellular replacement therapy for liver failure.
Paradoxical protein might prevent cancer
One difficulty with fighting cancer cells is that they are similar in many respects to the body's stem cells. By focusing on the differences, researchers at Karolinska Institutet have found a new way of tackling colon cancer. The study is presented in the prestigious journal Cell.
U of M researchers find 2 units of umbilical cord blood reduce risk of leukemia recurrence
A new study from the Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota shows that patients who have acute leukemia and are transplanted with two units of umbilical cord blood (UCB) have significantly reduced risk of the disease returning.
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