BCLA Visionaries 2015 Highlight – Fight For Sight Update: Corneal Stem Cell Transplants & Bandage Contact Lenses

In the first of this week’s highlights around Visionaries 2015 we look at the exciting research being presented on behalf of Fight for Sight by Alex Shortt and Professor Rachel Williams.

Alex will be reviewing the causes of corneal limbal stem cell deficiency, a severe and blinding condition that results from damage to the stem cells that generate the corneal epithelium.  He will discuss current treatment options including surgical and non-surgical therapies as well as looking at the role of stem cell technology in treating these patient.  This will include the current state of research and clinical progress.

In her talk “The development of advanced materials to treat ocular surface disorders”, Professor William will be reporting on the exciting work being carried out by her group at the Department of Eye and Vision Science.  This group is developing novel peptide gels as bandage contact lenses with potential to tailor their mechanical properties, water content and transparency.

They are also developing strategies to enhance the antimicrobial properties of these lenses as well as their potential to deliver antimicrobial agents to treat corneal infection. Further work with the gels is underway to evaluate their development as a tissue equivalent cornea, for use as an in vitro corneal model in the first instance and for corneal endothelial transplantation.

Alex Shortt is a clinician scientist, who currently holds a 4 year Wellcome Trust Intermediate Clinical Fellowship investigating the interactions between corneal stem cell transplants and the recipient’s immune system. Alex’s goal is to improve the lives of patients with chronic, severe ocular surface disease through the delivery of novel cellular therapies using different therapeutic cell types.

Rachel Williams is a professor of ophthalmic bioengineering with over 20 years of experience in the design and development of advanced materials for medical applications. Her expertise lies particularly in the design and characterisation of the bulk and surface properties of materials and how to modify them to optimise the properties for a specific application.

Visionaries 2015 is taking place on Monday 9 November at the Royal College of Physicians. To find out more or to register visit the BCLA Events section. This event is free of charge for full BCLA Members.  Non Members can attend for a fee of £200 per person.