Dr Virender Singh Sangwan a Hyderabad based scientist at LV Prasad Eye Institute (LVPEI) in collaboration with Professor Sheila MacNeil of Sheffield University from UK has developed a new stem cell based technique called Simple Limbal Epithelial Transplant (SLET) to treat damaged eyes.
In an interaction with Dr Sangwan, Head of Cornea and Anterior Segment services at LVPEI, it is revealed that the scientist has developed a new stem cell based treatment technique to repair damaged eyes. “Our research focused on treating blindness caused by burns using limbal stem cells harvested from the undamaged eye of the same patients. Though we had initiated our research in the year 2001 with direct transplant method called Conjunctival Limbal Auto Grafting (CLAU) and later turned our attention to safer method called Cultivated Limbal Epithelial Transplant (CLET), which was a bit costlier and complex. It took us 10 years to evolve a novel stem cell technique. It is only in the year 2009 onwards we started developing the new technique SLET which has emerged as more effective and affordable,” said Dr Sangwan.
In this new technique a small portion of the tissue is removed from the healthy eye and is transplanted to the damaged eye, where the stem cell expansion take place in the eye itself unlike earlier in the lab. This ensures that the healthy eye is never damaged and the risk of contamination is negligible as the expansion does not take place in the lab. “Earlier a medium was used in the lab to provide nutrients for the growth of stem cells. This had a possibility of contamination, while in the new SLET procedure the tear cells in the eye will perform the job of the medium and it is much cheaper and costs only half the earlier procedure,” informed the Doctor.
During the past 10 years 1000 blind patients have undergone the stem cell transplant treatment and have achieved 75 per cent success. Among them 200 patients have been treated with the new SLET procedure and have achieved remarkable results during the past 3 years. “The technique we have developed is very good. It uses autologous cultivated limbal stem cells for reconstruction of damaged parts of the eye. The success rates are improving with more follow ups. Any patient having their eyes damaged due to chemicals, infections, allergies and auto immune diseases can be effectively treated with this new procedure,” explained Sangwan.
Encouraged with the success rate of this new stem cell technique the scientist is also planning to scale it up and make it much cheaper and simpler. By just giving little training, any corneal surgeon can perform this procedure. At present there are 5 scientists and two research students working in this field of regenerative medicine at LVPEI.
http://www.pharmabiz.com/NewsDetails.aspx?aid=83835&sid=1
In an interaction with Dr Sangwan, Head of Cornea and Anterior Segment services at LVPEI, it is revealed that the scientist has developed a new stem cell based treatment technique to repair damaged eyes. “Our research focused on treating blindness caused by burns using limbal stem cells harvested from the undamaged eye of the same patients. Though we had initiated our research in the year 2001 with direct transplant method called Conjunctival Limbal Auto Grafting (CLAU) and later turned our attention to safer method called Cultivated Limbal Epithelial Transplant (CLET), which was a bit costlier and complex. It took us 10 years to evolve a novel stem cell technique. It is only in the year 2009 onwards we started developing the new technique SLET which has emerged as more effective and affordable,” said Dr Sangwan.
In this new technique a small portion of the tissue is removed from the healthy eye and is transplanted to the damaged eye, where the stem cell expansion take place in the eye itself unlike earlier in the lab. This ensures that the healthy eye is never damaged and the risk of contamination is negligible as the expansion does not take place in the lab. “Earlier a medium was used in the lab to provide nutrients for the growth of stem cells. This had a possibility of contamination, while in the new SLET procedure the tear cells in the eye will perform the job of the medium and it is much cheaper and costs only half the earlier procedure,” informed the Doctor.
During the past 10 years 1000 blind patients have undergone the stem cell transplant treatment and have achieved 75 per cent success. Among them 200 patients have been treated with the new SLET procedure and have achieved remarkable results during the past 3 years. “The technique we have developed is very good. It uses autologous cultivated limbal stem cells for reconstruction of damaged parts of the eye. The success rates are improving with more follow ups. Any patient having their eyes damaged due to chemicals, infections, allergies and auto immune diseases can be effectively treated with this new procedure,” explained Sangwan.
Encouraged with the success rate of this new stem cell technique the scientist is also planning to scale it up and make it much cheaper and simpler. By just giving little training, any corneal surgeon can perform this procedure. At present there are 5 scientists and two research students working in this field of regenerative medicine at LVPEI.
http://www.pharmabiz.com/NewsDetails.aspx?aid=83835&sid=1
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