Scientists at the University of Southampton have discovered that the corneal limbus harbours special stem cells that could treat blinding eye conditions.
The research, published in PLOS ONE, showed that stem cells can be cultured from the corneal limbus in vitro and, under the correct culture conditions, could be directed to behave like photoreceptor cells.
Researchers hope that this study could lead to new treatments for conditions such as age-related macular degeneration, which affects around one in three people in the UK by the age of 75.
Professor Andrew Lotery of the University of Southampton and a consultant ophthalmologist at Southampton General Hospital led the study. He said: ‘These cells are readily accessible, and they have surprising plasticity, which makes them an attractive cell resource for future therapies. This would help avoid complications with rejection or contamination because the cells taken from the eye would be returned to the same patient. More research is now needed to develop this approach before these cells are used in patients.’
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