Our ability to perceive the world is dependent on our eyesight. Losing vision to corneal disease is not always preventable because treatment options are limited and not widely accessible. However, regenerative therapies offer hope. Supported by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the STEM-CORE project aims to train the next generation of researchers to create advanced, affordable treatments for corneal blindness.
To restore sight, the project is exploring stem cell therapies and biomaterials. It is laying the groundwork for future cures. Bringing together scientists and industry experts, the project aims to accelerate the journey from lab to clinic. Ultimately, STEM-CORE seeks to make sight-saving therapies a reality for patients worldwide.
Corneal disease
Corneal disease is the fourth-biggest cause of blindness in the world. In Europe, more than 30 million people are blind or have serious vision problems. This costs European healthcare systems between 30 and 60 billion euros every year.
The cornea normally repairs itself through the regenerative capacity of limbal stem cells. But when these cells get damaged by injury, infection, or genetic diseases, the cornea cannot heal. This could lead to permanent blindness in worst cases. Currently, the limited treatment options are expensive and fail to help all corneal patients.
STEM-CORE is developing a new treatment using laboratory-grown stem cells. Scientists will create corneal stem cells from induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSC). These special cells can be made from any person's cells and grown in the laboratory. This new treatment is more affordable and applicable to a broader range of corneal patients.
Research goals
The project has four main research objectives:
- Generating hiLSC through state-of-the-art stem cell cultures, to establish consistent and efficient methods for generating high-quality hiLSC.
- Developing and improving novel biosynthetic cell carriers for hiLSC maturation and transplantation, supporting hiLSC growth and transplantation.
- Characterising immune compatibility and migration destination of hiLSC, to obtain the properties of hiLSC in immune responses, safety and identify potential mitigation strategies.
- Providing proof-of-principle of applying hiLSC to restore corneal stem cell function in LSCD.
Training programme
Simultaneously, through innovative, interdisciplinary and intersectoral research, STEM-CORE strives to shape the European doctorate education of the next generation of experts in ocular regenerative medicine. To do this, we design a training programme that focuses on interdisciplinary, intersectoral and international research. This allows our 14 doctoral candidates from 12 academic and non-academic beneficiary organisations to acquire research skills in the complete trajectory in developing cell therapies as well as transferable skills and other complementary soft skills that adequately prepare DCs for their future career. We describe this approach as ‘training through innovative research’. The students will work in laboratories across Europe and attend training courses together. This will prepare them to continue developing new treatments for eye diseases.
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Training objectives
- Bring doctoral candidates to the forefront of academic and industrial research and to become critical and independent researchers in the field of stem cell biology and related disciplines that support ocular regenerative medicine, through individual projects, secondments and network-wide training schools.
- Enhance career possibilities for doctoral candidates in ocular regenerative medicine and other related academic and industrial areas through transferable skill training including management, leadership and entrepreneurship.
- Equip doctoral candidates to make a societal impact by providing training in complementary soft skills including communication patient perspective, bioethics, and animal welfare
STEM-CORE network
Coordinated by Radboud University (Netherlands), the STEM-CORE network brings together top scientists and supervisors from eleven organisations in nine countries across Europe, from both academic and non-academic sectors.
