Making Headway in the Eye Transplant Field

Eye transplants have long been viewed as a potential way to restore sight in some patients with certain eye conditions. Recently, two patients have received transplants of eye stem cells in a clinical trial. These patients did not wake up from surgery to instantly see a health practitioner wearing nursing scrubs in front of them, however. It will take some months to find out whether this surgery can be considered successful or not. A lot of people in the healthcare field are keeping their fingers crossed for these two patients.

This technique was developed by specialists in Scotland to help reverse blindness caused by damage to the cornea. It was funded by the Chief Scientist Office and the UK Stem Cell Foundation and Scottish Enterprise. Up until this clinical trial, there was only one treatment available and that was to transplant cornea tissue donated by an organ donor.

A woman from Edinburgh is one of the patients that has received this transplant. She suffers from corneal blindness and if this transplant proves to be successful it will transform her life. It won't only be her life that will be transformed, however, since many other patients suffering from corneal blindness are waiting to hear the results with bated breath. Other people with various eye conditions are also awaiting good news. It is hoped that this type of surgery will lay the groundwork towards full eye transplants someday to alleviate blindness from other causes.

Will these two patients be able to see the nursing scrubs in front of them in future months or will more research be needed. Either way, this is the first step towards major progress. If everything goes well, this will serve as a stepping stone towards more regenerative therapies and a generation of new approaches that will definitely change a lot of people's lives in the coming years.