“Latest Stem Cells News”

From stem cells comes a ray of light for those who lives in the dark. A new surgical operation anti-blindness is under examimation by a team of Scottish scientists from Edinburgh and Glasgow, ready to start a study about using adult stem cells on 20 patients suffering of cornea blindness: this disease plague over than 80% of the senior citizens.

“We can note 2 or 3 new cases of cornea blindness every month; it’s a big problem” says Bal Dhillow from Princess Alexandra Eye Pavillon of Edinburgh.

The experimental technique contemplate using of adult stem cells taken from a corpse, which will be raised and then transplanted on the patient’s cornea’s surface. Dhillow says he’s proud to be part of the project.

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Plerixafor has allowed doctors to collect stem cells from patients where there had been previous difficulties.
The drug, which has only recently been licensed, is being used at the Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre.

Stem cells therapies are used to treat people with cancer of the blood. The cells are collected and reintroduced to a patient after chemotherapy.
Doctors often encounter problems collecting enough stem cells from about one in 10 cancer patients to undergo treatment.

Plerixafor has, so far, had a 100% success rate in allowing doctors at the cancer centre to collect enough cells from patients who fall into this category.
Blood specialist, Dr Kenneth Douglas, explained how the drug worked.

“Basically it blocks a chemical scent that stem cells sniff for that tells them they’re in the bone marrow,” he said.
“If you block that chemical scent they get confused and agitated and they think they are not in the bone marrow any more and they start wandering into the blood stream looking for the bone marrow.”

When more stem cells “start wandering into the blood” doctors are able to collect them for future treatment.
One patient who has benefited from this approach is retired professional golfer, Billy McCondachie.

He said his age was a barrier to potential stem cell treatment.
“We were only able to get about half of my stem cells out until Dr Douglas came along with this new drug,” he said.

“One could say that pretty much saved my life.”
The centre in Glasgow has now treated 13 people with the drug and every one has been able to proceed with stem cell treatment.

from BBC news

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