Novel Stem Cell Therapy Shows Promise for Treating Chemical Burns

Key Points:

• Four patients with serious chemical burns underwent a CALEC transplant in a phase I clinical trial.
• The CALEC procedure involves taking a small amount of stem cells from a healthy eye and growing them on a graft before transplanting them into the patient’s damaged eye.
• All four patients experienced early clinical gains.
• Two patients were able to undergo a corneal transplant, while the other two reported significant improvements in vision without additional treatment.
• The patients were tracked for 12 months, and the CALEC transplant was deemed safe.

Hot take:

This innovative CALEC transplant procedure offers hope for patients with serious chemical burns. By harnessing the power of stem cells, researchers have demonstrated early clinical gains and improvements in vision. It’s exciting to see the potential of this novel therapy, and with further research, it could become a game-changer in the treatment of eye injuries and burns.

Original article: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/08/230818153120.htm