A new stem cell technique to treat damaged eye

Scientists have developed a new stem cell based technique called Simple Limbal Epithelial Transplant (SLET) to treat damaged eyes. Scientists focused on treating blindness caused by burns using limbal stem cells harvested from the undamaged eye of the same patients. Thus, they had initiated research in the year 2001 with direct transplant method called Conjunctival Limbal Auto Grafting (CLAU) and later turned attention to method called Cultivated Limbal Epithelial Transplant (CLET), which was a bit costlier and complex. Thus, 2009 onwards they started developing the new technique SLET which has emerged as more effective and affordable.