Stem cells in new sight study
Stem cells could eventually protect the vision of people suffering from the age-related eye disease known as macular degeneration, according to a new study in the online journal Public Library of Science One.
Macular degeneration gradually destroys vision leaving people unable to read, recognise the faces of individuals, or to live independently.
The study showed that human “neural progenitor” cells, a type of stem cell found in the brain during its development, could protect the vision of rats that were prone to an eye disease similar to that found in elderly people.
After the human stem cells were injected in the eyes of the rats it was found that the cells moved to the damaged areas. The stem cells then produced chemicals to protect the light-sensing cells of the eye that would otherwise have died due to the disease.
