Age-Related Macular Degeneration (Photo : National Institutes of Health)
Scientists are conducting the first-ever study to learn if stem cell treatment can reverse a vision condition called macular degeneration and cure blindness. British researchers have conducted an operation in which they implanted stems cells behind a woman's retina during a clinical trial, to replace the disease-damaged ones.
The woman suffers from a condition called age-related macular degeneration (AMD). It is a common eye condition.
Stem cells exist early in the development of an organism. They take on various roles as the human body grows.
The woman is participating in the first trial that uses the new technology in an attempt to reverse a total loss of eyesight. It is part of the London Project to Cure Blindness.
The woman's successful, complication-free stem cell therapy is a milestone. The biological cells were grown using an early embryo that can fit anywhere in a person's body.
During the next 18 months a total of 10 people will receive the stem cell therapy after AMD caused rapid loss of vision due to malfunctioning blood cells. The patients' eyes and vision will be monitored for a year.
Researchers have recently used stem cells to treat various medical conditions. It could become a game-changer used to cure ailments such as diabetes and leukemia.
AMD is one of several blindness-causing diseases. However, macular degeneration accounts for nearly half of all visual impairment in developed countries, according to CNET.
AMD mostly affects people over 50 years old. The problem is exponentially greater in countries with lengthening lifespans and aging populations, such as the United States and United Kingdom.
In fact, Moorfields hospital estimates that 10 percent of Britons over 65 years old have AMD. The eye medical center is in London.
In December the 60-year-old patient's progress will be evaluated. Surgeon Lyndon Da Cruz explained they can then check how much vision was restored, according to The Week.
Three causes of blindness make up over 70 percent of all cases worldwide. They are: cataracts, trachoma (bacterial infection), and glaucoma.
This video explains the form and function of a stem cell:
