An eye implant made from human embryonic stem cells could treat a common cause of blindness. There are no embryonic stem-cell treatments approved by the US Food and Drug Administration, and most human studies of such therapies have shown unremarkable results. Researchers at the University of California inserted stem-cell membranes into the eyes of four people with advanced dry macular degeneration, a leading cause of blindness. The patients were able to see better after just one month and have no further signs or symptoms for several years. Researchers at the Moorfields Eye Hospital in London have developed a similar stem-cell patch for patients with the wet form of macular degeneration. However, both studies were small, with no control groups, and the US Food and Drug Administration has yet to approve embryonic stem-cell treatments.
An eye implant made from human embryonic stem cells could treat a common cause of blindness. Researchers at the University of California inserted stem-cell membranes into the eyes of four people with advanced dry macular degeneration, a leading cause of blindness. The patients were able to see better after just one month and have no further signs or symptoms for several years. Researchers at the Moorfields Eye Hospital in London have developed a similar stem-cell patch for patients with the wet form of macular degeneration. However, both studies were small, with no control groups, and the US Food and Drug Administration has yet to approve embryonic stem-cell treatments.