Stem Cell Research

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Stem Cell Research
Over the years, scientists have continued to unravel the potential of stem cell to treat several human disorders. According to Cook et al. (874), the stem cell has proven to be a powerful tool with the abilities to heal some of the most complex disorders. However, most governments through the health ministry have only approved a few clinical treatments where stem cells can be used. More in-depth research is currently being conduct with different types of stems cells such as blood stem cell, limbal stem cell, and skin stem cells already discovered.
Limbal stem cell deficiency
There have been cases of people with damage cornea ending up unable to heal itself like any other wound. At the human eye, in between the sclera and cornea is the limbus with several limbal stem cells responsible for healing damaged outer layer of the cornea. There are accidents where a patient’s eye was subjected to chemical or physical injuries enough to destroy the limbus cells tend to have insufficient the limbal cells. Hence, their injured cornea tends to deteriorate. In this case, they develop a disorder known as limbal stem cell deficiency which if not treated can result in one being blind. Limbal stem cell deficiency causes one to have increased sensitivity to light, inflammation of the eye and pain.
Limbal stem cell
One of the requirements of any stem cell transplant is that the cells should match. Limbal stem cells are found at the limbus area of the eye around the cornea.

In this case, the cells located close to the cornea and the limbus are the same making the limbal stem cells. Hence they can easily integrate with the surrounding tissues.
The human immune system can detect transplanted stem cells similar to any transplanted organ. The moment the immune system detects that the cells of the stem cell and the surrounding organs do not match, it considers the cells to be foreign and hence rejects the stem cells. When the genetic match, the immune system overlooks the cells and regards them as part of the body. In this case, whether the genetic makeup match or not, the immune system will always identify the presence of added cells.
To get the stem cells into the patient, first I will extract up to 2mm^2 of undamaged limbal stem cells from the limbus, and the grow them to produce a sheet cornea that can perfectly fit in the eye. Unlike other transplants, the process will not involve any form or surgery. Instead, I will biopsy the area then proceed with the operation.

Work Cited
Cook, Gordon, et al. “High-dose chemotherapy plus autologous stem-cell transplantation as consolidation therapy in patients with relapsed multiple myeloma after previous autologous stem-cell transplantation (NCRI Myeloma X Relapse [Intensive trial]): a randomized, open-label, phase 3 trial.” The lancet oncology 15.8 (2014): 874-885.