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News has been released through Reuters in an article by Ben Hirshler that British scientists are planning to use embryonic stem cells to cure age related macular degeneration, a common form of blindness. They are hoping to have the first patients receive test treatments within five years. This could be a major improvement in the methods of treating this common form of eye blindness that is experienced by millions of individuals throughout the world. Embryonic research could lead to treatments in other forms of blindness as well, such as corneal transplants and keratoconus.

There are also thoughts that perhaps embryonic stem cell research could lead to improvements in cataract surgery allowing patients to focus through a natural lens and see at both distance and near. Such an improvement would rejuvenate the vision of older patients and could conceivably be used as an alternative to LASIK eye surgery, replacing the need to reshape a person’s eye using an excimer laser.

The pioneering project uses cells derived from human embryonic stem cells to repair damaged retinas. Those who support the research believe the process will involve surgery that could one day become as common as cataract operations. Scientists are suggesting that the technique might be capable of restoring vision in patients with age-related macular degeneration (ARMD), a leading cause of blindness among the elderly that afflicts millions of people worldwide and is the leading cause of blindness in the USA and Europe.

Newer drugs, like Genentech’s Lucentis, can help slow the progression of “wet” ARMD and can help restore some vision lost in the 10% of patients whose “dry” ARMD has worsened into “wet” ARMD (named for the bleeding that is occurring in the retina). US biotech firm Advanced Cell Technology is looking at stem cells in other eye conditions. Currently the only treatments for the 90 percent with “dry” AMD are methods of prevention. “Wet” ARMD is considered more severe and more potentially vision-threatening than “dry” ARMD.

Current methods of preventing progression of “dry” ARMD include vitamin therapy, smoking cessation, exercise, increased green vegetable consumption, and avoidance of ultraviolet light. ARMD is caused the failing of retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells to clear metabolic wastes from the retina. As waste products build in the retina they damage the inner lining of the retina and can lead to loss of photoreceptors or bleeding in the retina.

Embryonic stem cell research could generate replacement RPE cells from stem cells in the lab. Eye surgeons could then inject the new cells into the eye to replace the failing RPE cells. The London Project to Cure ARMD utilizes scientists from University College London (UCL), Moorfields Eye Hospital in London and the University of Sheffield. It is funded by an $8 million donation from an anonymous US donor, who apparently had become frustrated by US political efforts to prevent stem cell research. Embryonic stem cells are the cells of the human body that differentiate into all types of tissues, later forming into organs. Embryonic stem cell use is controversial because it requires the destruction of a human embryo to harvest the cells.

This entry was posted on Monday, June 11th, 2007 at 9:44 pm and is filed under LASIK. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.