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Europe Treats Stem Cells
A new medical process designed to stop the damage caused by a degenerative eye disease is to be tested in Europe's first clinical trial using embryonic stem cells.
If it proves to be successful, the treatment will open up a wide range of possible treatments for eye diseases and would be a huge boost for medicine because stem cells are thought to hold the key to tackling many types of disease.
Twelve volunteer patients suffering from Stargardt's macular dystrophy, which is know as incurable and happens in childhood, will have stem cells injected directly into their eyes to test the validity of the procedure.
Embryonic stem cells are know as "master cells" which have the potential to develop into
many different types of stem cells.
many different types of stem cells.
The trial is being held by Moorfields Eye Hospital and will be led by Professor James Bainbridge, who said: "This is the first time embryonic stem cells have been used here. They have great potential to be able to regenerate a variety of different tissues and organs. It's very exciting now to be at the stage where we can begin to explore that potential."
If they are as successful as researchers hope they will be, a treatment based on the trials may be available in five to 10 years
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