Doctors transplanted the cornea of the eye grown from stem cells a living donor

The unique technology of growing corneal stem cells from a living donor was developed by ophthalmologist Charles Bouchard of the University Medical center Loyola. His first patient was Debra Astrov, long time suffering from severe limbal stem cell deficiency. The donor was her daughter Jessica, who had taken two slices of tissue from the cornea of the left eye. Prior to this, as the donor material is commonly used stem cells of dead people. A serious drawback of this technology is the rejection of transplanted tissues. To minimize this process had to provide the patient with immunosuppressive means for causing serious side effects and increases the risk of dangerous infections.

The solution to this problem is the use of stem cells from a living donor, in first-degree relatives with the patient. The operation is as follows. The first is a microscopic scratch on the cornea of the patient. Then the donor is removed two pieces of tissue with stem cells that are transplanted into the patient's eye and fixed there is a special biological glue. Within approximately one month of donor tissue to grow to the desired size and the patient's vision is restored.

Source: techcult.ru