Embryonic stem cell therapy has improved the sight of two people with very limited vision in the first clinical trial of the technique in humans.
Both registered as blind, the two women who took part reported improved vision just weeks after stem cell therapy on the US trial.
The results are published in The Lancet and represent a huge boost for all stem cell research.
Both patients have macular degeneration, a worsening of central vision that is caused by retina cells dying.
The first patient is in her 70s and suffers from dry age-related macular degeneration, which is the leading cause of blindness in Western countries. After stem cell therapy she could read 28 letters on a sight test chart, compared to just 21 before she joined the trial.
The second patient is in her 50s and suffers from Stargardt disease, a common form of macular degeneration in younger patients. Prior to her stem cell therapy she was only being able to detect hand movements, but afterwards she could see finger movements and better.
Researchers at the Jules Stein Eye Institute at the University of California, Los Angeles, did not identify any safety problems with the two patients, even four months after they were treated.
Each patient had one eye injected with approximately 50,000 retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells that were derived from embryonic stem cells. Using this method vision in one eye could be compared against vision in the other.
Dr Robert Lanza, chief scientific officer at Advanced Cell Technology and a study author, said: “Despite the progressive nature of these conditions, the vision of both patients appears to have improved after transplantation of the cells, even at the lower dosage.
“This is particularly important, since the ultimate goal of this therapy will be to treat patients earlier in the course of the disease where more significant results might potentially be expected.”
Angeles hospital in Tijuana
Angeles hospital in Mexico is conducting several patient-funded trials of stem cell therapy. Trials of stem cell therapy for macular degeneration are an option for patients. Please contact us using the form on the right to find out if you are eligible to take part.
