Successful Phase I Trial: Stem Cell Therapy Restores Sight in Cornea Damage Patients
A phase I trial of a stem cell treatment called cultivated autologous limbal epithelial cell transplantation (CALEC) has shown promising results in repairing cornea damage caused by chemical burns. The treatment involves expanding and growing stem cells from a patient's healthy eye on a graft, which is then transplanted into the damaged eye. Four patients who underwent CALEC experienced restored cornea surfaces, with two able to undergo corneal transplants and two reporting significant improvements in vision. The early findings suggest that CALEC could offer hope to patients with untreatable vision loss and pain associated with major cornea injuries. Further studies are underway to determine the procedure's overall efficacy.