Stem Cells Clear Cloudy Corneas

A University of Pittsburgh Researcher has discovered a stem cell therapy that makes cloudy corneas clear. Dr. James Funderburgh found that stem cells collected from human corneas restore transparency and do not trigger a rejection response when injected into eyes of mice that are genetically scarred and hazy. Dr. Funderburgh says that the findings suggest that cell-based therapies might be an effective way to treat human corneal blindness and vision impairment. Before any clinical testing can be done Dr. Funderburgh and his fellow researchers must prove the the FDA that every stage of the process is acceptable for human use. That includes the gathering of the stem cells all the way up to the injection into the eye of the cells. Currently the only treatment available for corneal scar tissue is transplantation.