Treatment of Retinal Pigment Epithelium Dystrophy with Transplantation of One’s Own Stem Cells

Retinal dystrophy is localized in the central part of the retina and is a degenerative disease that is characterized by progression. The pathology’s development results in a gradual loss of central vision; a person loses the ability to perceive objects clearly. Cell therapy is the best treatment option for retinal pigment epithelial dystrophy.

Traditional methods cannot completely cure the disease, but treatment of retinal pigment epithelium dystrophy with stem cells will help reduce symptoms and restore the quality of vision. You can sign up to undergo an innovative therapy at the Mardaleishvili Medical Centre’s Eye Clinic, where specialists successfully practice stem cell transplantation in the treatment of eye diseases.

Treatment consists of collecting the patient’s bone marrow, isolating stem cells, and injecting them intravitreally, retrobulbarly, intrathecally, and intravenously.

The effectiveness of treatment is determined by the following indicator: improvement of vision.

Performing the procedure

In the 2-3 days before transplantation, the patient undergoes the following consultations, examinations, and preoperative tests:

• Ophthalmologist’s consultation
• Neurologist’s consultation
• Anesthesiologist’s consultation
• Blood test (full blood count, coagulogram, immunophenotyping of lymphocytes, determination of blood group and Rh, serological screening for viruses, liver and kidney function)
• OCT (optical coherence tomography)
• Gonioscopy
• Electrophysiological examination of the eye and optic nerve
• Computerized perimetry (with a minimum of 10% vision)
• Laser iridotomy (when the angle of the anterior chamber of the eyeball is narrow or closed)

A bone marrow collection and transplantation procedure will be performed after all examinations (the patient should not eat or drink for 5 or more hours before the procedure).

Procedure protocol

The first stage is the bone marrow collection.

The bone marrow is taken from the anterior and posterior tubercles of the patient’s ilium by taspiration. This procedure is quite painful, and it will be performed under general anesthesia. Anesthesia is administered by intravenous injection (Propofol) and inhalation (Sevoran). The amount of bone marrow sampling is determined by the age and weight of the patient (from 80 ml to 130 ml). This procedure lasts 15–30 minutes.

The laboratory performs stem cell isolation by centrifugation in a density gradient (Ficoll method).

This process takes 1.5–2 hours.

The resulting stem cells are suspended in saline.

During bone marrow processing, the patient is monitored in the intensive care unit.

The second stage is stem cell transplantation into the patient.

When transplant suspension is ready, stem cell transplantation begins after the patient is transferred to the operating room.

Usually the obtained suspension of the stem cells is injected intravitreally – into the eye with the several injections, retrobulbarly – into the orbit and intrathecally – into the spinal canal. The process of introducing of stem cells is performed under local anesthesia.

After transplantation, the patient stays in a separate ward. The patient can leave the clinic after monitoring for 2–3 hours and receiving final consultation and recommendations.

Treatment of retinal pigment epithelium dystrophy

Classical therapy for retinal pigment epithelium dystrophy

The main cause of this pathology is the genetic coding of retinal protein synthesis (several genes have been identified). Inheritance of genes can be autosomal recessive, autosomal dominant, or, in rare cases, X-linked.

The only method of treatment is genetic engineering. An alternative treatment is cell therapy.

An auxiliary method is drug correction and the use of:

• Fatty omega acids
• Palmitate, vitamin A
• Lutein with zeaxanthin
• Carbonic anhydrase inhibitors
• Installation of computer implants or chips, etc.

The result of traditional methods

It is important to understand that degenerative processes in the retina are irreversible. The therapeutic effect of traditional methods partially slows down the pathogenesis of the disease, but only an innovative stem cell transplantation procedure can stop it completely.

Make an appointment with the specialists of the Mardaleishvili Medical Centre, undergo effective treatment, and you will be pleasantly surprised by the result.

Treatment of retinal pigment epithelium dystrophy with stem cells

In the treatment of ophthalmic pathologies, stem cells naturally regenerate areas damaged by degenerative processes. They have the ability to turn into healthy cells of the retina, nerve fibres, and other elements of the visual organs. The principle of treatment for retinal pigment epithelium dystrophy is that stem cells displace necrotic tissues and form healthy analogues. The retina undergoes a process of reconstruction, thereby restoring its anatomically correct structure.

Advantages of treating retinal pigment epithelium dystrophy with stem cells:

• A persistent, lasting effect, achieved in the most gentle way for the body
• The patient’s age can be from 4 to 75 years
• An absence of side effects because one’s own stem cells do not cause a negative immune response
• The transplantation procedure is safe and painless
• Prevention of further degenerative processes

Genetic engineering is not a very accessible method of treatment, so many experienced doctors recommend cell correction to their patients, especially since the age range allows it. Patients feel great after transplantation; it does not present a risk of damage to the eye or further loss of vision, which sometimes happens after surgery or laser intervention.

Advantages of the Mardaleishvili Medical Centre:

• An experienced, qualified staff of doctors and specialists involved in the transplant procedure
• Safe, effective treatment without side effects
• Timely performance of all manipulations in one clinic within 3–4 days
• Convenient location of the medical centre near comfortable hotels and an international airport
• Assistance from the clinic’s organizational department upon arrival for treatment

Fill out the feedback form for the treatment of retinal pigment epithelium dystrophy to stop the process of its degeneration and save your eyesight!