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Stem
cell transplantation at LVPEI
In 2000, LVPEI initiated research on limbal stem cells, by
harvesting a small bit of limbal tissue from a patient’s
good eye, growing it in the laboratory and transplanting it
back into the patient’s eye. This procedure, direct limbal
stem cell transplant, was performed on a patient for the first
time in April 2001. Till date over 250 patients have been
treated at LVPEI with this technique, with almost 70% success.
Thirty patients also underwent corneal transplantation with
good visual recovery in 80% cases.
Limbal stem cell culturing is useful for patients needing
large amounts of stem cell replacement, where too many cells
taken from the donor eye may cause a deficiency there. In
autograft the patient’s own tissue is used (after culturing)
to treat the diseased eye. This reduces the risk of rejection,
as compared to a donor tissue. Autograft also implies minimal
use of steroid immuno-suppressants, which means avoiding life-long
dependence on drugs, as well as reduced side-effects of drugs.
Moreover, doctors can see the cells growing in the laboratory
every day, which is not possible in cadaveric transplants.
LVPEI’s
stem cell laboratory
L V Prasad Eye Institute has a world class laboratory, the
Sudhakar and Sreekanth Ravi Stem Cell Biology Laboratory,
which was inaugurated by Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, President of
India, in January 2004. It is supported by Sreekanth and Sudhakar
Ravi, long term supporters of LVPEI, based in California,
USA. The laboratory is named after them in recognition of
their continuing support. The research work is supported by
the Hyderabad Eye Research Foundation (HERF). The Department
of Biotechnology, Government of India, gave a major grant
for the work initially.
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