Stem cell therapy shows a promising technology for eye disease treatment

 Our Bureau, Mumbai Monday, October 08, 2012, 10:00 Hrs[IST] Stem cell therapy has emerged as a potentially revolutionary technology in the field of medicine. Stem cells are a renewable source of replacement cells and tissues and have the already been used widely for over 75 blood disorders, and are now showing potential to treat groundbreaking eye disease treatment. Dr Sanjay Dhawan, additional director & HOD – Ophthalmology, Fortis Healthcare says "As per researches and trial results Stem Cell Therapy for eye treatment is an amazing modern medical advancement. As we have world's largest blind population, of the 37 million blind people across the globe, over 15 million are from India. Use of stem cell treatment in ophthalmology would definitely help fight the blindness. The stem cell therapy has the viable potential to reverse the ophthalmological conditions because it goes straight to the source of the problem by replacing damaged, diseased, or malfunctioning cells with healthy stem cells. The Embryonic Stem Cells derived from foetus of human are used for the treatment. Dr Sanjay Dhawan adds, "Stem Cell is a promising technology for treatment of Macular Degeneration, a condition in which an individual loses vision in the centre of the visual field (macula) because of damage to the retina. It is believed to be the cause of 12 per cent of blindness cases in India and its present treatment is restricted to measures to limit the damage rather than reverse the process which is what the Stem Cell Treatment promises. The body's master cell, embryonic stem cells are turned in to Retinal Pigment Epithelium (RPE). Those RPE Cells are injected under the retina into the sub-retinal space of the patients. RPE cells are responsible for maintaining the health of the photoreceptors which we see with.It is used for various eye diseases including Macular Degeneration, Glaucoma, Retinitis Pigmentos and Diabetic Retinopathy. The treatment involves the use of adipose-derived stem cells that are harvested from the patient's own body.In condition of Stargard disease, which is most common paediatric macular degeneration and Dry AMD which is the leading cause of blindness, stem cell treatment is a viable regimen. After injections of stem cells, the patient feels a functional improvement in vision. The patient with Stargardt's Macular Degeneration could previously only determine hand motions, but with stem cell transplant they can count fingers using their treated eye similar in the cases of patients with AMD. Master Stem Cells are used for the treatment of Glaucoma condition. These master cells have the ability to morph into any cell type, and we're seen to form connections with the existing nerve cells in these mice, with improvement in their visual system."Even though this treatment modality is very far from the clinic, it is a significant step towards our ultimate goal of finding a cure for glaucoma: both reversing, and limiting the damage caused by the disease. Even if we can only achieve functional vision or potentially delay or circumvent the blindness due to glaucoma, it will have a tremendous impact on the quality of life of these patients, said Dr Shibal Bhartiya, Consultant Ophthalmology, Fortis Memorial Research Institute. Glaucoma is a disease in which the increase in the eye pressure can lead to damage to the optic nerve and potential blindness. Now Diabetic Retinopathy Treatment is possible through Stem Cells. In diabetic retinopathy the retina becomes damaged due to long-term diabetes. The retina is a tissue that is situated at the back of the eye and it converts received images into nerve signals before delivering them to the brain. Diabetic retinopathy occurs when the blood vessels of the retina become damaged.Burns to the sclera, conjunctiva, cornea, and eyelid are considered ocular burns. Ocular burn injuries are classified by etiologic agents as either chemical injuries or radiant energy injuries caused by heat or ultraviolet radiation. Chemical burns, particularly those involving the cornea, are considered a true ophthalmologic emergency. In extreme corneal injury, the region around the cornea which is called the limbus also gets damaged. These cells at the limbus have regenerative properties and there loss leads to scarring and consequent loss of vision. Transplantation of these stem cells is widely used in current practice to visually rehabilitate these patients, together with corneal grafts. Also in patients with severe dry eye and disorders of the ocular surface, stem cell transplantation can significantly improve corneal graft survival.These stem cells can be harvested from the other eye of the patient, if it is healthy, or from related donors. Cadaveric limbal transplants also have good prognosis, and we have considerable clinical experience in India in this field, says Dr Shibal Bhartiya, Consultant Ophthalmology, Fortis Memorial Research Institute. Eye is the immune privileged part of the body; it doesn't have risk of transplant rejection. Therefore the chances of successful transplant of stem cells are higher, says Dr Shibal Bhartiya.