The first published results of trials using cells derived from human embryonic stem cells appear to show they have passed an initial safety hurdle. In The Lancet this week, researchers report that two nearly blind patients, one with Stargardt's macular dystrophy and the other with dry age-related macular degeneration (the leading cause of blindness in developed countries), showed measurable improvements in vision that lasted for more than four months after receiving injections of retinal pigment epithelium cells derived from human embryonic stem cells.
The retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells were developed by the US stem cell company Advanced Cell Technology (ACT), and the trials were conducted at the Jules Stein Eye Institute at the University of California, Los Angeles. The report appeared online in The Lancet on Monday 23 January.
Both trials are designed as prospective "open label" trials to test the safety and tolerability of sub-retinal transplantation of RPE cells made from stem cells derived from human embryos.
As well as these two trials taking place in the US, another trial for SMD is just starting in the UK, and the first patient was treated at Moorfields Eye Hospital in London last Friday.
The researchers write in The Lancet:
"It has been 13 years since the discovery of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs). Our report provides the first description of hESC-derived cells transplanted into human patients."
The apparent success of the trials, which at best showed that vision improved slightly, and at worst, that it did not deteriorate and there were no adverse safety issues, could signify a major boost to the field of stem cell research which has found itself in the doldrums lately.
And in this particular case, they offer hope to millions of people with AMD, whose numbers are increasing every year. In the US alone, the number of people with AMD is estimated to reach 2.95 million by 2020, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Macular degeneration, often called age-related macular degeneration (AMD), is an eye disorder associated with aging where people's vision becomes less sharp and they gradually lose central vision, which is essential every day tasks such as reading and driving.
AMD affects the macula, the middle part the retina that allows the eye to see fine details. There are two forms of AMD, wet and dry. And although dry is by far the most common form of AMD, unfortunately drugs are only available for wet AMD.
The retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells were developed by the US stem cell company Advanced Cell Technology (ACT), and the trials were conducted at the Jules Stein Eye Institute at the University of California, Los Angeles. The report appeared online in The Lancet on Monday 23 January.
Both trials are designed as prospective "open label" trials to test the safety and tolerability of sub-retinal transplantation of RPE cells made from stem cells derived from human embryos.
As well as these two trials taking place in the US, another trial for SMD is just starting in the UK, and the first patient was treated at Moorfields Eye Hospital in London last Friday.
The researchers write in The Lancet:
"It has been 13 years since the discovery of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs). Our report provides the first description of hESC-derived cells transplanted into human patients."
The apparent success of the trials, which at best showed that vision improved slightly, and at worst, that it did not deteriorate and there were no adverse safety issues, could signify a major boost to the field of stem cell research which has found itself in the doldrums lately.
And in this particular case, they offer hope to millions of people with AMD, whose numbers are increasing every year. In the US alone, the number of people with AMD is estimated to reach 2.95 million by 2020, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Macular degeneration, often called age-related macular degeneration (AMD), is an eye disorder associated with aging where people's vision becomes less sharp and they gradually lose central vision, which is essential every day tasks such as reading and driving.
AMD affects the macula, the middle part the retina that allows the eye to see fine details. There are two forms of AMD, wet and dry. And although dry is by far the most common form of AMD, unfortunately drugs are only available for wet AMD.
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