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Umbilical Cord = Visual Lifeline
The herpes virus causes havoc for eye patients and their doctors. Whether it is the familiar herpes simplex virus (also responsible for cold sores and genital sores) or reactivated herpes zoster (adult shingles from childhood chickenpox) it is an extremely destructive infection that leaves patients with chronic poor vision and eye discomfort.
Yes, there are powerful antiviral medications, however timing is critical. Delays in diagnosis can give the herpes virus a devastating head start. Even if the virus is eradicated it leaves behind inflammation, tissue damage and scarring.
The herpes virus thrives inside nerves and surface epithelial cells and the transparent cornea has plenty of both. We use the term neurotrophic keratitis to describe a chronic, recurrent herpes infection of the cornea. These patients are miserable due to the vision loss and constant eye discomfort (pain). At this stage of disease antiviral medications offer limited benefit and long-term recovery often involves corneal transplantation.
Ophthalmologists know that these sick corneas need a variety of special substances to halt inflammation and to promote healing - proteins like IGF-1, NGF, and something called 'Substance P'. Synthesized versions of these neurotrophic substances cause redness, irritation and eye pain. Ordinary blood contains these vital proteins, and some researchers have created eyedrops from human serum. Korean researchers have advanced this approach one step further by identifying a natural source of concentrated neurotrophic substances: blood from the newborn baby's umbilical cord.
Serum extracted from purified samples of cord blood are loaded with all of the powerful healing substances the cornea needs to fight neurotrophic keratitis. This photo comes from a recent article that demonstrated how topical eyedrops made from umbilical cord serum promoted complete healing in an eye with advanced herpes. Not too long ago this eye would've been abandoned as a treatment failure.
Besides herpes virus infections there are other corneal conditions that result from nerve damage (like diabetes, stroke, trauma, radiation therapy, etc.) that can also benefit from the application of umbilical cord serum eyedrops.
Here's a good example of what the body needs to heal is readily available in human blood and more effective than any synthetic compound. You can expect to hear more and more about the remarkable healing properties of umbilical cord blood. Once something is proven effective others quickly adapt it to different problems elsewhere in the body - therapeutic copycats!
Related Topics:
Technorati Tags: herpes simplex, umbilical cord stem cells, vision, eye care
Yes, there are powerful antiviral medications, however timing is critical. Delays in diagnosis can give the herpes virus a devastating head start. Even if the virus is eradicated it leaves behind inflammation, tissue damage and scarring.
The herpes virus thrives inside nerves and surface epithelial cells and the transparent cornea has plenty of both. We use the term neurotrophic keratitis to describe a chronic, recurrent herpes infection of the cornea. These patients are miserable due to the vision loss and constant eye discomfort (pain). At this stage of disease antiviral medications offer limited benefit and long-term recovery often involves corneal transplantation.
Ophthalmologists know that these sick corneas need a variety of special substances to halt inflammation and to promote healing - proteins like IGF-1, NGF, and something called 'Substance P'. Synthesized versions of these neurotrophic substances cause redness, irritation and eye pain. Ordinary blood contains these vital proteins, and some researchers have created eyedrops from human serum. Korean researchers have advanced this approach one step further by identifying a natural source of concentrated neurotrophic substances: blood from the newborn baby's umbilical cord.
Serum extracted from purified samples of cord blood are loaded with all of the powerful healing substances the cornea needs to fight neurotrophic keratitis. This photo comes from a recent article that demonstrated how topical eyedrops made from umbilical cord serum promoted complete healing in an eye with advanced herpes. Not too long ago this eye would've been abandoned as a treatment failure.Besides herpes virus infections there are other corneal conditions that result from nerve damage (like diabetes, stroke, trauma, radiation therapy, etc.) that can also benefit from the application of umbilical cord serum eyedrops.
Here's a good example of what the body needs to heal is readily available in human blood and more effective than any synthetic compound. You can expect to hear more and more about the remarkable healing properties of umbilical cord blood. Once something is proven effective others quickly adapt it to different problems elsewhere in the body - therapeutic copycats!
Related Topics:
Technorati Tags: herpes simplex, umbilical cord stem cells, vision, eye care
