Open AccessImplementation of experimental cellular (cellular-genetic) therapies on the example of eye diseases
Author(s) -
Patrycja Kapczuk,
Karolina Rogulska,
Anna Stangret,
Agata Mularczyk,
Angelika Szczęśniak,
Katarzyna Topczewska,
Konrad Grzeszczak
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
journal of education, health and sport
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2391-8306
DOI - 10.12775/jehs.2020.10.09.065
Subject(s) - macular degeneration , medicine , genetic enhancement , stem cell , induced pluripotent stem cell , stem cell therapy , cell therapy , clinical trial , regenerative medicine , bioinformatics , neuroscience , pathology , biology , ophthalmology , embryonic stem cell , genetics , gene , mesenchymal stem cell
The development of technology and a modern research approach in the 21st century has enabled access to new therapies in many fields of medicine and nanotechnology. Work on the use of cellular therapies is carried out in leading centers around the world. According to the "clinicaltraial.gov" service, it is estimated that there are about 5.5 thousand clinical trials using stem cells. The classification of stem cells is based on their potential to differentiate into other cells, tissues, organs or the whole organism. In cell therapy 3 groups of stem cells are used: Pluripotent Stem Cells (PSC), multipotent and unipotent, which have two common features: the ability to self-revalue, that is, to divide and to differentiate in many directions. To date, there are no objective, randomized clinical trials that would clearly determine the efficacy and safety of the cell therapy used in ophthalmic diseases. Hope is given by gene therapies such as the recently approved Luxturna™ gene therapy used in hereditary retinal degeneration caused by mutations in the RPE65 gene. Research is currently underway on experimental cell therapies to treat the following diseases of the optic system: glaucoma, retinopathy, age-related macular degeneration (AMD), optic nerve atrophy, retinal pigmentation (RP) and Stargardt's disease. Stem cell-based medical therapies are a promising and rapidly developing method of innovative treatment, especially for conditions that were previously considered incurable. The use of experimental cellular gene therapies in diseases of the visual organ gives hope to both patients and scientists, but the age of regenerative medicine has yet to come.