In an incredible medical feat, surgeons in London are carrying out a human embryonic stem cell operation in ongoing trials to find a cure for blindness.
The first procedure was performed on a 60-year-old woman, which involved ‘seeding’ a tiny patch with specialized eye cells, and implanting it at the back of the retina.
Ten patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD), or a sudden loss of vision as a result of defective blood vessels in the eye, will undergo the grounding breaking trial. They’ll be examined for a year to see if the procedure is both safe, and if their eyes show any improvement.
“We won’t know until at least Christmas how good her vision is and how long that may be maintained, but we can see the cells are there under the retina where they should be and they appear to be healthy,” said Prof. Peter Coffey, who is co-leading the London Project.
The patch of specialized cells used are retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) – the group of cells that nourish and support the photoreceptors in the macula.
In other words, the seeing part of the eye.
AMD causes the RPE’s to die, resulting in a loss of eye function. Central vision becomes distorted and blurred.
“This is truly a regenerative project. In the past it’s been impossible to replace lost neural cells,” Prof. Lyndon Da Cruz of Moorfields Eye Hospital, who carried out the surgery, explained.
“If we can deliver the very layer of cells that is missing and give them their function back this would be of enormous benefit to people with the sight-threatening condition”.
AMD is the leading cause of sight loss in the developed world, and it’s estimated that one in every 10 people over 65 has some degree of AMD.
Photo credit: Halfpoint/Shutterstock
