Eye Disease Stem Cell Funding Cut


Experts claim that scientific advances towards treating blinding eye diseases including age related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy and glaucoma could be halted by the American Federal Court's decision to halt funding for stem cell research programmes. The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology has gone as far to claim that a generation of gifted researchers may even turn away from potentially vision saving pluripotent stem cell research following the funding cut.

Scientists at the Association also argue that the setback could stop advances being made in corneal tissue transplants and embryonic stem cell research too. And experts suggest that the court's ruling to cut vital funding could mean that patients will face a longer wait for stem cell treatments to be properly developed, tested and approved.

However, scientists in the UK plan to develop stem cell therapies to treat age related macular degeneration – the leading cause of blindness, worldwide – by 2011.

6th September 2010

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