Stem Cell Treatment For Retinal Degeneration

Doctors are looking for ways to use these cells to either replace or heal damaged cells that cause macular.

Stem cell treatment for retinal degeneration.

In the experimental therapy a specially engineered sheet of stem cells is transplanted into the back wall of the eye to replace a layer of cells destroyed by age related macular degeneration amd. Doctors are also experimenting with the use of stem cells to assist with macular degeneration. The study appears in the january 2 cell reports. We believe stem cell based therapies for these conditions have the greatest chances of preventing blindness restoring sight and improving sufferers quality of life in the future.

In a dramatic development research is underway to use induced pluri potent stem cells for the treatment of macular degeneration because these cells would be made from the same person eliminating the need for immuno suppressive drugs as well as any religious objections. The discovery has advanced efforts to make stem cell derived rpe for transplantation into patients with geographic atrophy otherwise known as dry age related macular degeneration amd a leading cause of blindness in the u s. One is the use of embryonic stem cells such as the method reported by the american macular degeneration foundation. Stem cell transplantation to treat macular degeneration.

Another is the use of autologous stem cells the patient s own stem cells. The project aims to bring stem cell therapy for retinal diseases especially for age related macular degeneration amd to the clinic as rapidly as possible. Researchers at the national eye institute nei are launching a clinical trial to test the safety of a novel patient specific stem cell based therapy to treat geographic atrophy the advanced dry form of age related macular degeneration amd a leading cause of vision loss among people age 65 and older. Stem cell research for age related macular degeneration.

Researchers in california expect to launch a phase 2 clinical trial of stem cell therapy for age related macular degeneration this year while a team from the national institutes of health is not.