The cornea, the transparent screen that sits at the front of the eyeball, is one of the most important yet fragile organs in the human body. Damage to the cornea renders millions of people worldwide blind, and treatment for it is both uncommon and risky.

Yet research published today in medical journal Stem Cells Translational Medicine suggests that one day it may be possible for doctors to repair scarring to the cornea or even grow replacement tissue by using stem cells drawn from a patient’s own body.

In a study on mice, scientists from the University of Pittsburgh have demonstrated that stem cells extracted from wisdom teeth pulp can be developed into cornea cells with no sign of rejection.

Such a technique could hold major implications for the emerging field of regenerative therapies, potentially allowing for the regrowth of damaged corneal tissue and perhaps even tissue for complete cornea transplants.

Should this technique see the light of day, it would hold major advantages over existing techniques.

Currently, cornea transplants suffer from an acute lack of donors: as you might imagine, it can be tricky to find donors willing to part with their eyeballs.

Even when donors are found, corneal tissue poses a high risk of rejection. By using stem cells, both of these roadblocks could be avoided.

James Funderburgh, professor of ophthalmology at Pittsburgh, summarised the research’s potential advantages.

“Shortages of donor corneas and rejection of donor tissue do occur, which can result in permanent vision loss,” he said.

“Our work is promising because using the patient’s own cells for treatment could help us avoid these problems.”

Wisdom teeth pulp may seem an unorthodox source of stem cells, however other studies have also demonstrated its potential for regenerative treatments.

“Other research has shown that dental pulp stem cells can be used to make neural, bone and other cells,” explained study lead author Dr Fatima Syed-Picard, from the the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.

“They have great potential for use in regenerative therapies.”

However, there is a long road ahead before this research can become a reality.

The scientist’s next step is to demonstrate that corneal scarring can be repaired in mice, and it will be a considerable time before a treatment can be even attempted in humans.

Nonetheless, this research, and the implications it carries, paint a bright future for the treatment of blindness and the field of regenerative therapy in general.