Cell transplants 'restore sight'

[Noah]

Cell transplants 'restore sight'

Cell transplants have successfully restored vision to mice which had lost their sight, leading to hopes people could benefit in the same way.

UK scientists treated animals which had eye damage similar to that seen in many human eye diseases.

They were able to help them see again by transplanting immature retinal stem cells into their eyes.

UK experts welcomed the study, published in the magazine Nature, saying it was "stunning" research.

If the results can be translated into a treatment for human eye disease, it could help the millions of people with conditions ranging from age-related macular degeneration to diabetes.

Once the cone and rod photoreceptors in a retina are lost, they cannot be replaced.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/6120664.stm

Sweet :ph34r:

[Sentinel]

That is awesome news. See also this (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/3011827.stm):


Blind patients given a pioneering retinal implant have managed to receive and decipher pictures sent from a video camera.

The artificial implant receives visual signals then converts them into an "image" which is transmitted into remaining healthy retinal cells via 16 electrodes.

So far patients, in the first trials of the device, have been able to distinguish between everyday objects such as a cup or a plate.

However, they have not yet "seen" these objects entirely through their own eyes - the pictures are taken by a video camera then sent to the implant.

We live in an age of miracles, who needs that Jesus fellow when we can make the blind see by ourselves? :D

But there's nothing as frustrating as knowing that these techniques won't reach the needing, that the poor blind people of the world will remain blind.. :( Unless a political change happens globally, that is.

All this made me also think about the Cuban Operación Milagro (http://www.cubahotelbookings.com/operation-miracle-operacion-milagro.htm), which was a very encouraging example of solidarity. There is hope..

[Janus]

This is very good news. It seems that this will be a strong deterent of macular degeneration and thus greatly reduce the effects of aging on the vision of the elderly.


We live in an age of miracles
With science, there are no miracles.

[Sentinel]

With science, there are no miracles.

That was sort of my point, you know..

Or do you mean you're agreeing with me?

[anarchista feminista]

this is fantastic. the more things like this, the healthier the generation. makes me think... if we end up finding ways to combat every health issue could we become some super race? or would there continue to be viruses etc the same as computers that are made to withstand our medicine?