When the optic nerve is damaged, stem cells come to the rescue. The optic nerve begins in the retina, runs all the way through the skull and ends in the occipital part of the brain. Its damage means blindness. Find out what is the treatment of optic atrophy with stem cells?
The optic nervecan be compared to a cable, which is made of nerve fibers. It is difficult to precisely define the causes that determine its damage. There is talk of inflammatory processes, toxins, ischemia, trauma and genetic diseases. - A person who has suffered damage to the optic nerve practically loses his eyesight, although he may have residual vision for many years - says Dr. Piotr Fryczkowski, an ophthalmologist, MD. - However, such a vision is not satisfactory. It often does not allow independent functioning. For many years, scientists have been looking for solutions to many medical problems in the possibilities of stem cells. Ophthalmologists wanted to use them to repair the optic nerve.
Optic nerve and stem cells
- Stem cells used in ophthalmology come from Wharton's jelly - says Dr. Fryczkowki. - It is a substance that wraps the blood vessels in the umbilical cord. From this jelly, mesenchymal stem cells are obtained. What is extremely interesting to us is that mesenchymal cells do not have histocompatibility receptors, which means that they cannot recognize who they come from and to whom they are going. And this ensures that there will be no rejection after their transplantation. Stem cells become an additional paracrine organ - this means that after their administration, they settle in the tissue adjacent to the diseased area and encourage damaged cells to redirect to a different metabolic path, a different level of regeneration. It's like moving a switch so that the train can reach its destination.
Treating the optic nerve with stem cells - this works, but it is not known how
- Preparing cells for transplantation takes about 2 months - explains Piotr Fryczkowski. “It's the time from picking Wharton's jelly to growing new cells. A new culture is needed for each transplant. Stem cells are placed in a syringe and then injected into the fat of the eye socket. That's goodblood supply to tissue, which is a perfect habitat for stem cells. Once the cells have established themselves, they begin to produce a substance that helps the optic nerve to regenerate. - Unfortunately, we still do not know what substance it is, but we know that it works - says Dr. Fryczkowski. The time between cell preparation and administration is very important. Ideally, the transplant should take place within an hour of their preparation. Then we are guaranteed to maintain adequate cell viability. - We also know that stem cells, by secreting many substances, have anti-inflammatory and regenerative properties and increase the blood supply to the place where they are located - adds Dr. Fryczkowski.
Treatment of the optic nerve with stem cells - waiting for the effect
2-3 months must pass from the time the transplant is performed to the first signs of improvement in vision. The effect of the treatment is not always spectacular - someone has not seen and suddenly sees. - Imagine a speeding train that many people want to stop, but everyone may want to choose a different moment for it - says Dr. Fryczkowski. - The same applies to saving the optic nerve. If it has lost its properties recently, its ability to regenerate will be greater than in a person who had nerve damage 20 years ago. In people who cannot see anything and would like to undergo a transplant, an electrophysiological test is performed to assess the electrical activity of the optic nerve. - The brain is an organ that acts on electricity - explains Piotr Fryczkowski. - The eye, and more precisely the retina, can convert light into an electrical impulse which is transmitted to the visual cortex by the optic nerve. If the test shows that there are electrical impulses, we have a candidate for stem cell implantation. When there are no impulses, there is nothing we can do. Even stem cells cannot make dead matter come alive.
Worth knowingAvailable therapies
There is no technical possibility of surgical treatment of optic nerve injuries. It consists of 1.2 million nerve fibers that would take days to connect. Maybe it will be possible someday. Today, the greatest hopes are connected with stem cells. Drugs, on the other hand, do not repair damage, but only force better circulation in the brain, i.e. better nourishment of the nerve. The same applies to procedures aimed at lowering the pressure inside the eyeball, which improves the blood supply to the optic nerve disc.