Sight Restored in Tester Mice


Scientists from Columbia University have successfully restored the eyesight of mice using stem cells to replace damaged retinal cells. Whilst the results are still in the early stages of investigation, the development of this research could spell the end the debilitating eye disease, retinitis pigmentosa.

The research now appears online ahead of its publication in March in Transplantation. The study has entailed an investigation into cells within the retina called retinal pigment epithelium, which help maintain a person’s vision; death of these cells can lead to narrow vision, or “tunnel vision” as it is more widely known. When this tunnel vision occurs the sufferer can see clearly within this tunnel, but everything outside of this tunnel becomes distorted and blurred. Lead researcher, Dr Stephen Tsang explains the positive outcome of the results as the scientists have successfully harvested the stem cells into retinal cells which can then be transplanted into the mice eyes acting as fully functional retinal cells. The results were promising as one out of four of the mice had their sight restored from these stem cells. Complications did occur in other mice with the development of retinal detachments and tumors. However, evidently this research is just the beginning and is something that they will be able to build on.

Dr Tsang also offers promising news that not only could this research be developed into a cure for humans suffering from retinitis pigmentosa, but also age-related macular degeneration. Currently, macular degeneration is treated in a few hospitals with the transplant of donor’s retinal pigment epithelium cells into patient’s eyes, but supplies can be limited. Thus, if scientists can successfully turn stem cells into these cells then the supply could literally be never ending!

27th February 2010

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