Stem Cell Treatments for Damaged Corneas and Congenital Cataracts

In vitro and in vivo corneal growth from stem cells is possible.

Stem cell biology is starting to become stem cell medicine. Two teams have published advances in ophthalmologic medicine that take advantage of stem cell technology.

Human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs; NEJM JW Gen Med Sep 15 2008 and Science 2008; 321:1218) can be chemically coaxed to become a primitive eye. Japanese researchers took cornea-like cells from such primitive eyes and grew them into sheets that resembled corneas. These “corneas” restored the vision of rabbits that had a blinding corneal stem cell deficiency.

A second group discovered that the lens capsule contains lens stem cells, which can be chemically coaxed to form a lens. They developed a minimally invasive surgical technique that removes a cataractous lens without d…

Reviewing Author

Anthony L. Komaroff, MD

Disclosures

Consultant/Advisory BoardSerImmune Inc.; DxTerity

Grant / Research SupportNIH (1U54NS105542-01)

Editorial BoardsHarvard Health Letter; UpToDate

Anthony L. Komaroff, MD

Disclosures

Consultant/Advisory BoardSerImmune Inc.; DxTerity

Grant / Research SupportNIH (1U54NS105542-01)

Editorial BoardsHarvard Health Letter; UpToDate

Stem Cell Treatments for Damaged Corneas and Congenital Cataracts

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Reviewing Author