Sankara Netralaya develops infection-free stem cell cure for corneal blindness

An infection-free procedure to treat ulcers in the using stem cells have been developed by an Indian hospital Sankara Nethralaya in association with Nichiin Bio Sciences of Japan.

The technology which treats the stem cells in gel called Mebiol Gel to avoid contamination from infection causing germs.

Mebiol gel gets liquefied when cooled. The Mebiol Gel helps rapid multiplication of cells. Once enough cells are grown, the cell culture dish is put in a refrigerator. After the gel liquefies, the stem cells are separated. They are then loosely injected into the eyes of rabbits.

“The cells that are cultivated within the Mebiol Gel can be used for therapeutic purposes, instead of human tissues like the amniotic membrane,” stated Dr H N Madhavan, President, Vision Research Foundation, and Director and Professor of Microbiology, Sankara Nethralaya.

The new procedure, which is also patented by Sankara Nethralaya and Nichiin Bio Sciences of Japan, offers promise to treat ailments like corneal ulcers and StevensJohnson Syndrome.

The researchers used a synthetic material to grow corneal limbal stem cells of a rabbit, to avoid viral infection and contamination. Being a nonbiological material, it also prevented rejection caused in the case of the biological one.

This material is actually a gel called Mebiol Gel. It gets liquefied when cooled. The Mebiol Gel helps rapid multiplication of cells. Once enough cells are grown, the cell culture dish is put in a refrigerator. After the gel liquefies, the stem cells are separated. They are then loosely injected into the eyes of rabbits.

The Sankara Nethralaya would have a registry of patients, who meet the qualifications to undergo the procedure.

Sankara Netralaya is planning to price the Mebiol Gel within Rs 5,000. But the cost of the entire operation is yet to be decided, according to Dr Madhavan.

The new procedure would help those suffering from corneal blindness. At the Sankara Nethralaya’s Ocular Surface Clinic, approximately 6,000 cases are seen a year.

Also, 125 new patients with the Stevens Johnson syndrome seek services every year. Of this, 25 per cent would benefit from the cultured corneal epithelial transplant. Similarly, 75 new patients with thermal or chemical injury come to hospital every year. Almost 80 per cent of them will benefit from the corneal limbal stem cell transplantation, the hospital authorities said.

Sankara Netralaya is currently studying CytoCor, a stem cell-derived corneal tissue is being developed as a potential treatment against blindness in India by Chennai-based Sankara Nethralaya.

CytoCor has been developed by International Stem Cell Corporation (ISCO).

CytoCor consists of transparent human tissue derived from pluripotent human stem cells. These structures are produced in the laboratory . Recent testing at Sankara Nethralaya and laboratories in the US has demonstrated a range of structural, biochemical and refractory properties characteristic of human cornea.

Under the collaboration, Sankara Nethralaya will undertake the pre-clinical and clinical testing for ISCO’s CytoCor stem cell-derived corneal tissue in India.

Then the centre will evaluate CytoCor corneal tissue in clinical application in lamellar keratoplasty. With improvements in surgical techniques over the past few years, the indications for anterior lamellar keratoplasty have expanded significantly.

The need for high-volume, high-quality human corneal tissue is substantial, not only in India but across Asia and much of Europe, according to Sankara Nethralaya officials.

CytoCor tissue could eliminate the current problem that corneal tissue derived from donors may harbour diseases that could be transferred from the donor to the recipient.

It may also provide a much needed alternative to the use of live and extracted animal eyes in the US$ 500+million market for safety testing of drugs, chemicals and consumer products.