Stem Cells May Be Better Choice Than Tissue Transplantation For Treating LSCD: Study

The main treatment for this condition was a limbal tissue transplant using tissue from either the patient, a relative or a cadaver — a treatment that carried with it a high risk of rejection

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RESULTS of a phase II clinical trial released in STEM CELLS Translational Medicine (SCTM) indicate that a limbal stem cell (LSC) transplantation is superior to a tissue graft in treating limbal stem cell deficiency syndrome (LSCD).

This could result in a new and better treatment for LSCD, a condition that is mostly caused by burns to the eye. In its most extreme form, LSCD results in severe vision loss or total blindness. Until recently, the main treatment for this condition was a limbal tissue transplant using tissue from either the patient, a relative or a cadaver — a treatment that carried with it a high risk of rejection and a lifetime of immunosuppressant drugs for the patient.