Kobe Eye Center: Treatment of eye diseases with iPS cells: Successful first surgery

Kobe Eye Center: Treatment of eye diseases with iPS cells: Successful first surgery

-Successful first transplant surgery in Kobe-

Kobe City Kobe Eye Center Hospital:

Currently, we are conducting clinical research to treat eye diseases.

Retinal pigment epithelial cells made from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells) were transplanted.

On March 11, it announced that it had succeeded in the first operation.

Transplantation of retinal pigment epithelial cells:

iPS cells,

In the future, the prospect within 5 years,
A disease caused by abnormal retinal pigment epithelial cells
Transplant to 50 patients.

This study was approved on January 20 by the “Expert Committee of the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare”.

What is the patient to be treated?

Retinal pigment epithelial cells that protect photoreceptor cells that respond to light.

A disease in which these cells become dysfunctional and difficult to see.

First patient after surgery:

A man in his 40s with retinitis pigmentosa living in the Kansai region.
Preoperative corrected visual acuity for both eyes was 0.01.

In early March, a liquid containing the iPS cells was injected under the patient’s retina.

It was finished in 1 hour as scheduled.

It takes more than a few weeks for the eyesight to be effective.

Observe the patient’s condition for one year.

Director Yasuo Kurimoto who performed the operation:

There was a sense of mission not to spoil the efforts and courage of many people.

“I hope patients suffering from eye diseases have hope for the future,” he said.

The next surgery is expected in 3 months.

In the future, we will increase the number of surgeons and aim to implement it at out-of-hospital facilities.

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