Experimental stem-cell therapy for blindness

MIT's Technology Review reports that a new treatment for eye disease, developed by Advanced Cell Technology (ACT) uses human embryonic stem cells to re-create retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells in the retina that support the photoreceptors needed for vision.

RPE cells are often the first to die off in age-related macular degeneration and other eye diseases, which in turn leads to loss of vision. Now, the experimental therapy has proved safe and effective in animal studies, and may begin early human trials in the next few months if it receives approval from the Food and Drug Administration.

According to Robert Lanza, ACT's chief scientific officer, not only does the RPE treatment avoid the problem of immune rejection, but the cells themselves are relatively easy to create, as embryonic cells tend to spontaneously differentiate into RPE cells and can be easily maintained in that state. ACT plans to focus first on patients with Stargardt's disease, and then move eventually to those with age-related macular degeneration.

Posted in: Macular Degeneration, photoreceptors, Retina, targardt's disease, vision