Newsblurb: Autologous serum

While autologous serum certainly can't be considered a new breakthrough, I'm encouraged to see a little popular press about it to spread the word. Also this is a heads up to folks in the midwest for another dr. with experience in using serum drops.

St. John’s doctor uses 'breakthrough' eye drops to treat severe dryness

St. John’s Clinic ophthalmologist Dr. Shachar Tauber has begun using what he calls “a breakthrough alternative” in the treatment of patients with severe dry eye.

Autologous serum drops are eye drops are made from the patient’s own blood, he said....

“We use these drops in intervals for patients who have shingles and who have had Lasik and PRK procedures,” Tauber said. “We don’t know what chemical it is exactly in blood that has the healing property; we think it’s the combination of proteins such as albumin and insulin, and the body’s stem cells. They all work in concert to promote healing in the eyes when nothing else helps.”

Tauber has treated about 50 patients who have severe dry eye with autologous serum drops. Patients often have eyes that are very swollen and inflamed most of the times and no eye drops seem to help, he said. Some are in severe pain and can’t keep their eyes open....