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Subject: Blinded in acid attack
Replies: 3 Views: 179
bozzalad 15.07.19 - 04:29pm
Hope for people blinded in acid attacks as a 'revolutionary' study aims to reverse damage to the eye using stem cells
Tissue-softening enzyme collagenase will be tested in 30 patients
Collagenase has been shown to soften the tissue beneath the cornea
This then allows stem cells to regenerate and repair any damage
People who have lost their sight in acid attacks may one day be able to see again thanks to a revolutionary new treatment.
An upcoming UK study will test the enzyme collagenase in 30 patients who have been in acid attacks or industrial accidents.
Applying collagenase to damaged corneas has been shown to soften the underlying tissue in rabbits.
This allowed the stem cells beneath the cornea to multiply and regenerate, which led to the injury repairing itself.
The pending study will be the first time the technique has been tested in real-life patients. Results are expected in 2021. *
bozzalad 15.07.19 - 04:29pm
The study will be carried out by Newcastle University and led by Dr Ricardo Gouveia, new harvest research fellow.
Study author Dr Che Connon, professor of tissue engineering, said: 'The simplicity and relative low cost of this therapy compared to existing approaches in which stem cells have to be transplanted is a game-changer.
'It greatly expands the number of potential patients being treated for corneal burns across the world and may well have applications in other diseases.' *
bozzalad 15.07.19 - 04:31pm
Almost half-a-million people a year all over the world lose their sight due to chemical burns, including acid attacks.
And nearly five million people are completely blind as a result of corneal scars, which can occur due to burns, deep cuts or diseases.
The cornea is the eye's outermost layer and plays an important role in focusing vision.
It is covered by a thin barrier that somewhat protects against physical damage and prevents invading pathogens from entering the eye.
When this barrier is damaged, stem cells rapidly divide and flood the injured area, before sealing the wound.
Stem cells are basic cells with the ability to differentiate into more specialised cells.
This 'flooding' process can be compromised if the 'stem cell niche' - the area where the cells 'live' - is damaged.
Past research, carried out by the universities of Newcastle and Missouri, recreated the conditions of chemical burns on rabbits.
The animals' injured stem cell niches were then treated with small doses of collagenase.
Results - published in the journal Nature Communications - revealed the treatment made the rabbits' stem cell niches more flexible.
This then promoted healing via stem cell multiplication and renewal.
The difference was clear when the researchers examined the corneal tissue under high-resolution microscopes. *
ladibud 17.07.19 - 09:32am
that would be absolutely fantastic. 
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