While the results involved only two people, there’s still reason for excitement in last week’s report – published in the online journal The Lancet – that two women experienced improved vision after embryonic stem cell therapy.
Said Dr. Steven Schwartz, a retina special at the University of California who treated both patients, “It’s a big step forward for regenerative medicine.” The apparent success carries implications for the use of stem cells to treat other diseases, like Parkinson’s.
Researchers at Advanced Cell Technology first had to coax embryonic stem cells into retinal pigment epithelial cells, the same cells whose deterioration causes macular degeneration. Each woman received about 50,000 of those re-engineered cells into one eye only.
- June 1, 2011: Rodent model study shows promise for treating humans with Parkinson’s. See rodent study.
- September 28, 2011: Researchers create dopamine-producing brain cells from embryonic stem cells. See dopamine.
- December 1, 2011: Study finds versatile stem cells in breast milk – a fact that could circumvent the ethical issues the technology often generates. See breast milk.