DemonKnight Posted June 6, 2007 Share Posted June 6, 2007 Looks like we'll be going overseas to get our medical treatment in the not so distant future... LONDON (Reuters) - British scientists plan to use stem cells to cure a common form of blindness, with the first patients receiving test treatment in five years. ADVERTISEMENT The pioneering project, launched on Tuesday, aims to repair damaged retinas with cells derived from human embryonic stem cells. Its backers say it involves simple surgery that could one day become as routine as cataract operations. They believe the technique is capable of restoring vision in the vast majority of patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a leading cause of blindness among the elderly that afflicts around 14 million people in Europe. Some drugs, like Genentech Inc.'s Lucentis, can help the one in 10 patients with so-called "wet" AMD and U.S. biotech firm Advanced Cell Technology is looking at stem cells in other eye conditions. But there is no treatment for the 90 percent with "dry" AMD. AMD is caused by faulty retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells, which form a supporting carpet under the light-sensitive rods and cones in the retina. The new procedure will generate replacement RPE cells from stem cells in the lab, with surgeons then injecting a small patch of new cells, measuring 4 by 6 millimeters, back into the eye. U.S. DONOR The London Project to Cure AMD brings together scientists from University College London (UCL), Moorfields Eye Hospital in London and the University of Sheffield. It has been made possible by a 4 million pounds ($8 million) donation from an anonymous U.S. donor, who the project's leaders said had become frustrated by U.S. curbs on stem cell work. Embryonic stem cells are the ultimate master cells of the body, giving rise to all of the tissues and organs. Their use is controversial because many people oppose embryo destruction, although Britain has encouraged such research. Surgeons at Moorfields have already restored the vision of a few patients using cells harvested from their own eyes, which were moved to a new site. But this process is complicated and only a small number of cells can be moved, limiting its use. By injecting RPE cells derived from stem cells instead, Dr Lyndon Da Cruz of Moorfields hopes the operation can be reduced to a simple 45-minute procedure under local anesthetic. "If it hasn't become routine in about 10 years it would mean we haven't succeeded," he told reporters. "It has to be something that's available to large numbers of people." Similar tests on rats have already proved highly effective. Pete Coffey of UCL, the director of the project, said he was confident the procedure would work in humans but the team needed to ensure the safety and quality of batches of cells, which would take time. "The goal is within five years to have a cohort of 10 or 12 patients to put the cells into," he said. The project, which is non-commercial, was welcomed by patient support groups. Alistair Fielder of the eye research charity Fight for Sight said it represented a real chance to tackle a hitherto untreatable condition. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WaterMan Posted June 6, 2007 Share Posted June 6, 2007 How DARE they play God! Only Jesus should be able to cure the blind. Those impatient blind people can't wait for the goodness of the Lord to heal them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cre8tiff Posted June 6, 2007 Share Posted June 6, 2007 This sucks. Both my Dad and uncle have AMD. My uncle is suicidal. Nice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H8tank Posted June 6, 2007 Share Posted June 6, 2007 Uuhhhmmm, stem cell research is not illegal, didn't you get the memo? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yukon Cornelius Posted June 6, 2007 Share Posted June 6, 2007 Uuhhhmmm, stem cell research is not illegal, didn't you get the memo? just very limited in the u.s Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
isleseeya Posted June 6, 2007 Share Posted June 6, 2007 How does stem cell work ? Is a life sacrificed to save another ? I am not 100 percent sure how it works Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cre8tiff Posted June 6, 2007 Share Posted June 6, 2007 How does stem cell work ? Is a life sacrificed to save another ? I am not 100 percent sure how it works Uses the cells from fetus' in cryogenic freezers from fertility clinics that would otherwise be incinerated as medical waste. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Azazello1313 Posted June 6, 2007 Share Posted June 6, 2007 just very limited in the u.s the limitations are only with respect to government funding toward study on newly created lines of embryonic stem cells, are they not? as far as i know, anyone who wanted to conduct privately funded (like, say, by this guy's $8 million) embryonic stem-cell research in the US is not in any way prohibited from doing so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cre8tiff Posted June 6, 2007 Share Posted June 6, 2007 the limitations are only with respect to government funding toward study on newly created lines of embryonic stem cells, are they not? as far as i know, anyone who wanted to conduct privately funded (like, say, by this guy's $8 million) embryonic stem-cell research in the US is not in any way prohibited from doing so. I believe that was extended to include funding to any organization that is involved in stem-cell research, whether the funding was earmarked for stem-cell or any other research that organization is doing. I could be wrong on that, and am too lazy to look it up at the moment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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