British researchers have developed an innovative way to use stem cells to cure blindness. The researchers, from the British project The London Project to Cure Blindness, “seeded” a small patch of specialized eye cells in the eyes of a 60-year-old patient before implanting it deep in her retina.
“We will not know until after Noel how much his vision has improved … but we can already notice that the cells are below the retina where they are supposed to be and that they appear to be healthy” , commented “The London Project” co-director Professor Peter Coffey.
The London Project to Cure Blindness was established ten years ago with the goal of reversing the process of vision loss in patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD). AMD is a painless eye problem that leads to loss of central vision, often in both eyes. It makes reading difficult, as well as the perception of colors and faces.
The cells used in this treatment make up the pigmented retinal epithelium (RPE), the layer of cells that nourish and support photoreceptors in the macula, (the part of the eye that “sees”). Macular degeneration destroys the RPE cells, and as a result, the eye stops working. Patients with AMD lose their central vision, which becomes distorted and blurry.
The cells used by the researchers were taken from an embryo. They have the potential to transform into all cells of the body.
The researchers plan to perform the same operation on ten other patients who have lost their vision suddenly due to faulty blood vessels in their eyes. They will follow the patients for a year afterwards to see if the treatment is safe and if it is working to improve their eyesight.
“This project is really innovative. In the past, it was impossible to replace lost neural cells. If we succeed in putting back a layer of the missing cells [aux yeux des aveugles] by restoring them to their functioning, we could help all those affected by disorders that endanger their eyesight, ”explains Professor Lyndon Da Cruz, who led the operation.
According to the researchers, if the treatment proves successful, it would also help patients who suffer from less aggressive forms of AMD, and because it could also prevent their vision loss.
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