Home » Medical Issues » biology » Currently Reading:

Eyesight Restored with Stem Cells

December 23, 2009 Medical Issues, biology No Comments

Russell Turnbull from Consett, County Durham lost his sight in a chemical attack on his way home following a night out in Newcastle in 1994.

On his bus journey home he tried to intervene in an altercation between two men which eventually spilled into a fight.

When Turnbull attempted to break up the scuffle, one of the men began squirting ammonia around the bus. The chemical hit his right eye, causing great damage to his cornea, leaving him with severely impaired vision – a condition known as Limbal Stem Cell Deficiency (LSCD).

“I was in agony instantly, my eye was clamped shut,” he said.

“I went home and my mum tried to wash out the chemical and then I went to hospital”

“I was in hospital for two weeks and eventually I was able to open the eye again”.

LSCD is a painful, blinding disease that requires long-term, costly treatment with frequent clinic visits and intensive hospital admissions.

“It was like looking through scratched Perspex. My eye was sensitive to light, it was constantly watering. I was unable to drive as any bright light would cause me pain” he said

The vision loss due to LSCD makes this disease not only costly, but often requires social support due to the enormous impact on the patient’s quality of life. This is further magnified by the fact that LSCD mostly affects young patients.

After undergoing various treatments with creams and washes Turnbull became a guinea pig for trials towards his eventual stem cell procedure.

He was one of eight patients with impaired vision who have been treated successfully by surgeons at the North East England Stem Cell Institute.

The treatment involved using a tiny amount of stem cells from the good eye and growing them in a lab.

The growth was then implanted in the damaged eye, which then helped it to begin functioning as normal – eventually restoring sight.

Dr Francisco Figueiredo, a consultant eye surgeon, that led the project said:

“Corneal cloudiness has been estimated to cause blindness in eight million people world wide each year. This new treatment will alleviate patient suffering and remove the need for long term multiple medications as well as returning the patient to functional and social independence.”

Mr Turnbull said: “I can’t thank the staff at the RVI (Royal Victoria Infirmary) enough. This has transformed my life, my eye is almost as good as it was before the accident.

“I’m working, I can go jet-skiing again and I also ride horses. I have my life back thanks to the operation.”

Similar Posts:

Bookmark and Share

Comment on this Article:







Recent Comments

  • bgstrong: There "might" be some slim cha...
  • bgstrong: There "might" be some slim cha...
  • dSpi: Good.  He should put down for ...
  • nomad: FYI, not one person in the US ...
  • bgstrong: It has been known within the s...
  • bgstrong: This is a SHAMEFUL comment on ...
  • D-FENS: This is why, If your going to...
  • bgstrong: Perhaps the Govt. has a reason...

Tags

Disclosure

Get the Flash Player to see the wordTube Media Player.

Top Security Gear



Nitro-Pak Emergency Preparedness Center

World's Most Secure USB Drive
IronKey 8GB S200 Basic USB 2.0 Flash Drive

Polls

Does the "War" on Drugs Cause More Problems than it Solves?

View Results

Loading ... Loading ...
  • British Intelligence Recruiting With Video Games
    british intelligence recruitment ad


    Can You Please Identify This Aircraft?
    russian-flying-fortress-2


    Is The Bread On Your Table In Danger
    basket of bread


    Bin Laden's Son Wants U.N. Job
    Omar-Bin-Laden


    General Wants More Troops in Afghanistan
    general-stanley-McChrystal