How stem cells can treat eye problems?

[Moulton]

How stem cells can treat eye problems?

[Loyal]

Currently, there is no treatment that slows the progression of age-related macular degeneration, which is the leading cause of vision loss in people over 65. An injection of stem cells into the eye may slow or reverse the effects of early-stage age-related disorder that causes vision loss, according to researchers.Age-related macular degeneration occurs when the small central portion of the retina, known as the macula, deteriorates. When animal models with macular degeneration were injected with induced neural progenitor stem cells, which derive from the more commonly known induced pluripotent stem cells, healthy cells began to migrate around the retina and formed a protective layer.This protective layer prevented ongoing degeneration of the vital retinal cells responsible for vision.

[Mott]

The stem cells could provide a much-needed alternative to current treatments, which either destroy much of the retina with a laser or require patients to receive an injection directly into their eyeball as often as monthly for the rest of their lives. The stem cells is a first step to demonstrate that you can use these stem cells to impact aspects of eye disease associated with diabetes.

[Loyalhanna]

An injection of stem cells into the eye may soon slow or reverse the effects of early-stage age-related macular degeneration. When animal models with macular degeneration were injected with induced neural progenitor stem cells, which derive from the more commonly known induced pluripotent stem cells, healthy cells began to migrate around the retina and formed a protective layer. This protective layer prevented ongoing degeneration of the vital retinal cells responsible for vision. Next steps included testing the efficacy and safety of the stem cell injection in preclinical animal studies to provide information for applying for an investigational new drug. From there, clinical trials will be designed to test potential benefit in patients with later-stage age-related macular degeneration.

[Motley]

Those who might benefit the most from this stem cell treatment are people who suffer from macular degeneration. To perform the stem cell transplant, researchers initially tested things out in blind mice. They injected stem cells into the rear of the eye. The stem cells were able to replace the damaged photoreceptors, which are small, important cells found in the retina. These photoreceptors are vital to your ability to see things and they are very sensitive to light. Interestingly enough, previous studies using stem cells had failed to restore sight. One reason for the problem relates to the choice of stem cells. In the most recent study, researchers used stem cells that were more mature than the ones previous researchers had used. The choice proved successful as the stem cells developed into photoreceptors and were able to join with the nerves that lead to the brain.