Stem Cell Therapy Trial Reverses 'Irreversible' Damage to Cornea

Damaged corneas were repaired at a Harvard teaching hospital in a unique clinical trial, reports New Atlas:

Since it's on the frontline of potential hazards from the outside world, the cornea features a population of limbal epithelial stem cells, which repair minor damage to keep the surface smooth and functional... The new study, conducted by scientists at Massachusetts Eye and Ear, investigated a new treatment called cultivated autologous limbal epithelial cells (CALEC). This involves removing stem cells from a patient's uninjured eye, growing their population in the lab for a few weeks, then surgically transplanting them into the injured eye.
The phase 1/2 trial recruited 14 patients to undergo the procedure, and followed them for 18 months afterwards... By the first checkup at three months, the corneas of seven (50%) of the participants had been completely restored. By the 12-month mark, that number had increased to 11 (79%) patients. Two other participants met the definition for partial success, so the team claims an overall success rate of 92% for CALEC.

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