Retinitis pigmentosa is an incurable disease, but that may change thanks to a cellular patch developed and planted in two patients in 2019.
About 30,000 people currently live in France with pigment retinitis, a group of rare hereditary diseases that lead to progressive blindness, said Margot Brunate, in her report published by the Spanish magazine “Le Figaro”.
This condition can start at any age, and is most often diagnosed between ten and thirty years old. Currently, there is no cure available for this disease, but research is progressing.
What is this disease?
The author quoted a researcher, Christelle Monville, at the Stem Cell Institute for the treatment and study of monogenic genetic diseases, as saying that "pigmentary retinitis is a disease that affects various types of retinal cells." These cells can be conical or bacilli, and they are responsible for converting light, either into a nerve signal or for epithelial cells of the retina. These elements are found behind conical cells and bacilli, as they are necessary for the function of the eyes, especially as they provide them with nutrients.
The author states that various forms of retinitis pigmentosa have various developments and diagnoses.
Hope is coming
Crystal Monville and its team have been able to develop a "cellular patch" for patients with a specific form of retinitis pigmentosa. This was considered a precedent, as the researcher explained that it is "intended for patients whose mutations lead to epithelial tissue cells deficiency, which represents about 5% of cases of this disease."
Owiza, a 55-year-old woman with visual impairment from birth, received her first transplant on September 5, 2019.
The patch consists of epithelial cells of the retina made from embryonic stem cells. The researcher also indicated that it "replaces the destroyed epithelial tissue" by injection, and its content is published in the eye.
The patch does not repair the damaging light receptors, but it stops the progression of the disease, and after a month has passed for Oiseza, her brother - who is also infected with this disease - was the second patient who performed the transplant.
"Both confirm that they look at the light a little better since the transplant, but they are basically able to tolerate the patch, and there are no complications," the researcher reported.
The author stated that 12 patients will be included in this clinical trial. If the results are conclusive, this patch may become a cure for some forms of retinitis pigmentosa.
In this context, the researcher added that "epithelial cells are the same cells that are damaged in macular degeneration." This is an interesting prospect for the 1.5 million people involved.