Safety Study in Retinal Transplantation for Retinitis Pigmentosa.
Summary
The long-term goal is to show that retinal transplantation can help to prevent blindness and to restore eyesight in patients with the inherited disease retinitis pigmentosa.
Description
The aim of this clinical trial is to test the safety of transplanting human fetal neural retinal tissue and retinal pigment epithelium into the eyes of human patients with retinitis pigmentosa. Vision in the eye to be operated on will be the poorer vision of both eyes and must be 20/200 or worse. "Retinal tissue", the layers in the back of the eye, consists of neural retina and retinal pigment epithelium. "Neural retina" is the nerve cell layer that processes light into vision. The "photoreceptor cells" in the neural retina detect the light and transform it into electrical signals, which are then transferred to the brain by other retinal cells. "Retinal pigment epithelium" (RPE) is the layer behind the neural retina which helps both to nourish the cells of the neural retina and also to get rid of waste products. The fetal tissues used in this study will be derived from dead fetuses in the first 9-16 weeks of pregnancy obtained from elective abortions.
Fetal retinal transplantation is highly experimental. The research will be conducted in accordance with the prohibitions regarding the use of human fetal tissue described in Public Law 103-43, section 498B. There will be no compensation for the donor. The research will be conducted in accordance with any applicable Federal, State and local laws.
First, the technical application of the implantation instrument and its safety in the transplantation will be demonstrated in patients with 20/200 vision in one eye or worse, with functional acuity in the contra lateral eye.
Secondly, the human fetal retinal tissue will be placed in the areas beneath the retina where presently the patient has atrophy of the retinal pigment epithelium and poor retinal function.
Study Design
Allocation: Non-Randomized, Control: Active Control, Endpoint Classification: Safety/Efficacy Study, Intervention Model: Factorial Assignment, Masking: Open Label, Primary Purpose: Treatment
Conditions
Retinitis Pigmentosa.
Intervention
Retinal transplantation instrument, Fetal tissue.
Location
Retina Vitreous Resource Center
Louisville
Kentucky
United States
40217
Status
Recruiting
Source
Radtke, Norman D., M.D.
Results (where available)
Links
- Source: http://clinicaltrials.gov/show/NCT00345917
- Information obtained from ClinicalTrials.gov on July 15, 2010
Medical and Biotech [MESH] Definitions
Usher Syndromes
Autosomal recessive hereditary disorders characterized by congenital SENSORINEURAL HEARING LOSS and RETINITIS PIGMENTOSA. Genetically and symptomatically heterogeneous, clinical classes include type I, type II, and type III. Their severity, age of onset of retinitis pigmentosa and the degree of vestibular dysfunction are variable.
Cytomegalovirus Retinitis
Infection of the retina by cytomegalovirus characterized by retinal necrosis, hemorrhage, vessel sheathing, and retinal edema. Cytomegalovirus retinitis is a major opportunistic infection in AIDS patients and can cause blindness.
Fetal Tissue Transplantation
Transference of fetal tissue between individuals of the same species or between individuals of different species.
Retinal Necrosis Syndrome, Acute
Mild to fulminant necrotizing vaso-occlusive retinitis associated with a high incidence of retinal detachment and poor vision outcome.
Fetal Therapies
Prenatal interventions to correct fetal anomalies or treat FETAL DISEASES in utero. Fetal therapies include several major areas, such as open surgery; FETOSCOPY; pharmacological therapy; INTRAUTERINE TRANSFUSION; STEM CELL TRANSPLANTATION; and GENE THERAPY.
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PubMed Articles
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