Using embryonic stem cells, doctors have taken a strong step in curing age-related macular degeneration, the most common cause of blindness in the UK.
Two patients have undergone the pioneering stem cell therapy at Moorfield Eye Hospital, London, and went from not being able to see out of their unhealthy eye to reading 60 to 80 words a minute. It, however, isn’t a complete cure as full vision has not yet been restored.
The eyesight restoration has been maintained for a year in both patients and eight more will take part in the clinical trial.
“This study represents real progress in regenerative medicine,” says Professor Pete Coffey, from the UCL Institute of Ophthalmology.
