Stem cell therapy for corneal damage demonstrates success in clinical trials

Harvard Medical School (HMS; MA, USA) surgeons have seen success in Phase I clinical trials of their recently developed stem cell therapy for the repair of damage to the cornea. The treatment, known as cultivated autologous limbal epithelial cell transplantation (CALEC), was able to replace the ocular surface of four patients who experienced chemical burns to the eye. During CALEC therapy, a small sample of stem cells is taken from the limbal area of the patient’s healthy eye – these cells are responsible for maintaining the barrier between the cornea and the conjunctiva, the white areas of the eye. The...