The Hindu News Update Service
News Update Service
Saturday, June 6, 2009 : 1515 Hrs
Sci. & Tech.
Stem cells cultured on contact lens 'restore sight'
Melbourne (PTI): In what is claimed to a world-first breakthrough, scientists
claim to have used stem cells cultured on contact lens to restore sight in
the sufferers of blinding corneal disease.
A team at the University of New South Wales harvested stem cells from patients'
own eyes to rehabilitate the damaged cornea. The stem cells were cultured
on a common therapeutic contact lens which was then placed onto the damaged
cornea for 10 days, during which the cells were able to re-colonise the damaged
eye surface.
While the novel procedure was used to rehabilitate damaged corneas, the
researchers say it offers hope to people with a range of blinding eye conditions
and could have applications in other organs, the 'Transplantation' journal
reported in its latest edition.
In fact, the trial was conducted on three patients - two with extensive corneal
damage resulting from multiple surgeries to remove ocular melanomas, and
one with the genetic eye condition aniridia. Other causes of cornea damage can
include chemical or thermal burns, bacterial infection and chemotherapy.
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