Questão 10 - IDOMED Medicina 2022/2

TREATMENT TO RESTORE VISION BY INJECTING STEM CELLS INTO THE EYE COULD ‘HELP PEOPLE WITH DAMAGED EYESIGHT’

 

By Tom Bawden

 

(1^st §) An effective new treatment to restore vision that works by injecting genetically modified stem cells into the eye to mend the damaged retina is on the horizon.

(2^nd §) Stem cells can be transplanted into the eye, releasing therapeutic molecules with neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory properties that promote the survival, proliferation and self-repair of retinal cells. The stem cells can also generate new retinal cells, replacing lost or damaged ones.

(3^rd§) “One of the main hurdles in using stem cells to treat damaged eyesight is low cell migration and integration in the retina,” says Pia Cosma, at the Centre for Genomic Regulation in Barcelona. “After the cells are transplanted, they need to reach the retina and integrate through its layers. Yet, we have found a way to enhance this process using stem cells commonly found in the bone marrow, which, in principle, can be used with any transplanted cells,” Dr Cosma said.

(4^th§) “There is still considerable work to be done, but our findings could make stem cell transplants a feasible and realistic option for treating visual impairment and restoring eyesight,” she said. The technique holds promise for improving sight in people with poor vision – and potentially even to cure blindness altogether – but the researchers cautioned that any such development requires much bigger studies to confirm their findings.

Adapted from: https://inews.co.uk. Accessed 10 November, 2021.

The conclusion in the news article is that stem cell transplants: