STEM cell success in sight? Improved vision in two near-blind people may be a sign that human embryonic stem cell (hESC) treatments have finally arrived.
Discovered in 1998, hESCs have so far failed to deliver on their medical promise. Now that may change. Two people with damage to their retinas had replacement cells made from hESCs injected into one eye each by Robert Lanza of Advanced Cell Technology of Marlborough, Massachusetts, and colleagues.
Within four months, both could read more letters on an eye chart with their treated eye than before the stem cell injection (The Lancet, ).
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鈥淭he goal of this therapy is not to cure blindness, but to slow down or prevent its onset,鈥� says Lanza. However, if the stem cells are shown to be safe they could be used earlier in treatment, where they might have a greater impact.
聯The goal of this stem cell therapy is not to cure blindness, but to slow down or prevent its onset聰