United States: Researchers have published their study in Nature Communications which reveals successful data from innovative experimental stem cell treatments for damaged corneas leading to blindness.
Why Corneal Damage Leads to Blindness
The cornea faces permanent damage which results when its native healing ability becomes lost following injuries or disease. Presently there are few accepted treatments for severe conditions, as reported by HealthDay.
How the Therapy Works
The therapeutic approach using cultivated autologous limbal epithelial cells (CALEC) retrieves adult stem cells from an unstained eye to reconstruct destroyed corneal epithelium.
Novel stem cell therapy repairs 'irreversible' corneal damage in clinical trial
— Professor Erwin Loh (@erwinloh) March 5, 2025
Study that took stem cells from a healthy eye and transplanted them into the damaged eye for cornea injuries found that 14 patients treated had a more than 90% success rate at restoring the cornea's… pic.twitter.com/J1NTK1NSx5
Study Findings: Safe and Highly Effective
In a clinical trial involving 14 patients monitored for 18 months, researchers found that:
✔️ CALEC is over 90% effective in restoring the cornea’s surface.
✔️ No severe complications were observed.
✔️ The procedure could offer new hope for individuals with previously untreatable corneal damage.
“Our first trial in four patients showed that CALEC was safe and feasible,” said Dr. Ula Jurkunas, lead investigator and associate director of the Cornea Service at Mass Eye and Ear. “Now we have strong data supporting its effectiveness.”
Next Steps: Toward FDA Approval
While the results are promising, further research is needed before CALEC can receive FDA approval and become widely available. “We believe this warrants additional trials,” Dr. Jurkunas emphasized.
Expanding Treatment Options in the Future
Currently, the procedure requires a functional eye to provide healthy stem cells for transplantation. However, researchers are working on using donor stem cells from deceased individuals, which could make the treatment accessible to patients with damage in both eyes, as reported by HealthDay.
“This will hopefully expand the use of this approach,” said Dr. Jerome Ritz of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.