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New Scientific Data on use of Stem Cells for Ocular Surface Regeneration Presented by Daniels’ Group at Prestigious Ophthalmology Conference, ARVO
3 May 2012
TAP Biosystems, a leading supplier of innovative cell culture systems and consumables for life science applications, is delighted to announce that Professor Julie Daniels’ Group at the UCL Institute of Ophthalmology will be presenting her latest research on the use of stem cells for corneal regeneration at the world's largest gathering of international eye and vision researchers, ARVO (Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology) meeting on May 6th – 10th in Fort Lauderdale, USA.
Professor Daniels, who has pioneered the clinical use of stem cells for human ocular surface regeneration since 1999, has been invited to present a keynote address, which will take place on Sunday May 6th at 12 noon in the Floridian Ballroom. Her presentation will include a review of the use of biomimetic cornea, as well as her own work and collaboration with TAP Biosystems on using epithelial stem cells to form a biomimetic cornea using the novel RAFT™ (Real Architecture for 3D Tissue™) process for creating collagen based tissue equivalents. In addition to this, senior scientists in the Daniels’ Group will also be presenting five talks and three posters on their research using stem cells to repair the ocular surface.
Professor Daniels, who has been collaborating with TAP Biosystems since 2008, will present data to show that the RAFT process can create corneal tissue which closely mimics the cells’ in vivo environment and supports stem cell growth, offering the potential to improve significantly on current success rates of ocular surface transplant surgery.
Dr Rosemary Drake, CSO at TAP Biosystems stated: “We are delighted that Professor Daniels’ critical research has been given such a substantial platform at this prestigious Ophthalmology Conference because she is one of the founding scientists in the application of stem cells for regeneration of the human cornea. The data from the Daniels’ group will show the RAFT process delivers a realistic collagen-based corneal tissue equivalent, which could in future be more effective than current clinical standards and may potentially really improve treatment for patients suffering from blinding ocular surface damage.”
About Professor Julie Daniels
Professor Julie Daniels is a leader in translational research on the use of stem cells for repair of the human ocular surface. In 1999 she was the awarded a grant from the Royal National Institute for the Blind (RNIB), which recognised her research as a ground breaking method for treating damage to the cornea. From this pioneering start, today Julie is Professor of Regenerative Medicine & Cellular Therapy at the Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London, where she heads up a group of 14 tissue engineers and stem cell scientists and commands a research budget of £3 million. Her team’s innovative cellular therapy research has already been utilised to treat 25 patients.
For further information, please contact:
Matthew Walker, Head of Communications
York Way, Royston, Hertfordshire, SG8 5WY, UK
Tel: +44 1763 227200 Fax: +44 1763 227201
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Institute of Ophthalmology, UCL
Published 3rd May 2012 on TAP Biosystems News and Events