Оphthalmology
Embryonic stem cell treatment in ophthalmology
The eye and its internal membrane – retina, is the part of neural system. Also the neural system is not renewable. Most doctors dealing with traditional medicine claim that there is a vast range of diseases leading to disability and being impossible to treat. But this opinion is false. Today technologies continue developing and the situation has changed significantly and this fact is not widely known.
Retinal diseases can be hereditary and acquired (due to injuries, infections, atherosclerosis and hypertension, diabetes mellitus, age-related changes). Retinal dystrophies are divided into central and peripheral. In most cases, pathology of the central zone of the retina contributes to a decrease in vision. Peripheral degeneration can lead to a narrowing of the scope of view or can cause retinal detachment.
Diseases that can be treated with stem cells are as follows: retinitis pigmentosa, partial optic atrophy of the optic nerve, optic atrophy in case of glaucoma, macular dystrophy (including Stargardt degeneration, Best dystrophy and others), Fuchs’ dystrophy, diabetic angioretinopathy in the complex of multiple sclerosis treatment. The use of stem cells accelerates rehabilitation after retinal detachment surgeries. And this is not all the diseases that we treat.
The action of stem cells is based on the ability to replace damaged cells, improve trophics of optic nerve due to additional capillary network, restoration of neural connections between retinal layers, trophic nutrition of nerve cell, correct intracellular trophics, normalize enzyme function, exchange of chromoproteins, nucleoproteins, replace damaged neuroreceptors, ganglion cells and cells of the retina pigment epithelium. With the help of embryonic stem cells, it is possible to achieve an improvement in visual acuity, color perception, expansion of the visual field and get a stable remission of the disease.
Effect of the therapy conducted:
• Retinitis pigmentosa – improvement of vision acuity and extension of the vision field, slowing down the progression of blindness, transferring the disease into a stable remission.
• Partial atrophy of optic nerve – improvement of vision acuity and extension of the vision field.
• Atrophy of optic nerve in glaucoma (in compressed intraocular pressure) – neuroprotection and extension of the field of vision.
• Macular degeneration (including Stadgardt and Best disease) – increase of the acuity of vision and slowing further impairment of vision.
• Rehabilitation after operated retinal detachment and intravitreal injections of Ilee and Avastin – restoration of neural connections between retinal layers, trophic nutrition of neural cells during and after mechanic and toxic influence of silicon, stimulation of growth of new capillary nets for retinal nutrition, prevention of retinal ischemia.
• Fuch’s dystrophy (in high level of myopia) – decrease of optic functions and elimination of new and old haemorrhages.
• Diabetic angioretinopathy – angio and neuroprotection, elimination of haemorrhages in the retina, improvement of the vessels’ endothelium, prevention of filling the retina with plasma and formation of drusen, decrease of probability of haemorrhages into the vitreous body.
Methodology of treatment
Each patient’s treatment is conducted individually after prior diagnostics of vision and a range of laboratory analyses. Many aspects are being taken into consideration and the plan of treatment is being developed. In addition, ways of injecting medications, type of cell material, specific preparatory therapy and terms for achieving the results are being planned. Preparing the patient to implantation is rather important aspect in the treatment. Medications are administered according to indications and disease: intravenously, intramuscularly, into sub-tenon space, parabulbularly, retrobulbularly, subconjunctivally, paravertebrally, endolumbarly, into subcutaneous tissue.
Results of the treatment directly depend on the prescription of pathological process, factors influencing on the disease, causes of the diseases. In most cases the repeated treatment is needed in order to consolidate results.
Hereditary diseases are not very treatable, but even these diseases are not hopeless.
Period of treatment in the clinic is from 3 to 10 days. It depends on the severity of the disease and the treatment program.
