Science Saturday: Regenerative eyedrops tap blood for tears
Gregory Williams turned to regenerative medicine for healing after a one-two punch to his health. The 63-year-old Florida man survived leukemia only to develop ocular graft-versus-host disease, a potentially blinding complication of the bone marrow transplant that put his cancer in remission.
Ocular graft-versus-host disease is a chronic debilitating condition with no cure that causes severe dry eyes. The Regenerative Medicine Therapeutic Suites in Florida, recognizing an unmet patient need, began producing and offering a treatment known as autologous serum eyedrops to regenerate moisture. These eyedrops are made from a patient's own blood.
The Mayo Clinic Center for Regenerative Medicine has been a driver of advancing regenerative care, together with the Regenerative Medicine Therapeutic Suites, as a leader in outpatient regenerative procedures.
"Autologous serum eyedrops are considered a compound medication that is manufactured from serum extracted from a patient's own blood. The eyedrops utilize cells and growth factors to modify the ocular surface and restore the body's ability to produce natural tears," says Jennifer Arthurs, a nurse practitioner in the Regenerative Medicine Therapeutic Suites.
Read the rest of the article on the Center for Regenerative Medicine blog.
____________________________________________
Other Mayo Clinic medical research websites: