Stem cell therapy could offer new hope for those that have suffered sight loss as a result of chemical burns to the eye, according to a new study from the Institute of Ophthalmology Conde de Valenciana in Mexico City, which was recently reported in Timesunion.com.
Blindness as a result of injury or trauma affects mainly young people aged 18-25 and chemical burns, caused by household items such as alkali-based detergents and reagents, represents perhaps as many as one in 5 incidences of blindness in this group.
Stem cells from bone marrow have been used before to treat such injuries, however an invasive procedure is required to harvest them and their efficacy in treating such injuries is limited, and becomes less effective with older subjects. The basis of the new study looked at the effectiveness of mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) in treating corneal burns in rabbits versus a control group. The study demonstrated strong indications of healthy cell regeneration in the exposed group versus the control group, and using MSC that are much easier to harvest and can indeed be stored from childhood via the storage of dental MSC from babyteeth.
Grace Century President and Director of Research Scott Wolf commented, “These studies continue to use this incredible key to open the door of regenerative medicine. Of particular interest was the fact the article states the invasive nature of bone marrow to access MSC cells. This is why we continue to promote Store-A-Tooth, which gains MSC cells through teeth that are being discarded anyway, and ones that can actually be used in an autologous fashion, meaning that one’s own cells can be used to treat oneself”.
