Share:
Macular degeneration Age-related blindness can be cured by stem cells in the future
A British medical team has managed to perform an operation that might cure age-related blindness. On Monday, September 28, Moorfields Eye Hospital, London, introduced a new type of treatment to combat "wet" age-related macular degeneration (AMD). With the help of stem cells, the doctors operated a patient. This first surgery is an important milestone in curing age-related blindness, the researchers said.
The London project was launched ten years ago with the aim of curing patients with wet AMD and preventing vision loss. The study is the result of collaboration between the hospital, the UCL Institute of Ophthalmology and the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). Additionally, Pfizer Inc. joined the partnership in 2009. From the original idea, a reliable therapy should be developed.
Age-related macular degeneration could be curable in the future. (Image: bilderzwerg / fotolia.com) Studies conducted for this purpose investigated the safety and efficacy of transplantation of ocular cells (retinal pigment epithelium) derived from human stem cells. The cells replace cells affected by AMD in the eye. A necessary operation takes up to two hours. Last month a first successful operation was performed. To date, no complications have occurred in the patient. The person concerned wishes to remain anonymous. The team hopes to see first results in the restoration of vision in December 2015.
Study with ten subjects over a year
Retinal Surgeon Professor Lyndon Da Cruz said there is a good chance of curing people with wet age-related macular degeneration by transplanting cells. The study will be performed on ten patients. Each of these patients is monitored and monitored for a period of one year. Here, the safety and stability of the cells should be evaluated. Furthermore, the restoration of vision is monitored. Professor Pete Coffey of the UCL Institute of Ophthalmology was pleased to see that at this stage, research has achieved a therapeutic approach. Although the study referred to a small group of AMD patients who suddenly had severe visual loss, it is to be hoped that many will benefit from it in the future.
Better, faster results through collaboration
The study demonstrated the strengths of the collaboration between the University, Moorfields Eye Hospital, the NHS Foundation Trust, and Pfizer, said Professor Philip J. Luthert, director of the UCL Institute of Ophthalmology. This resulted in a new treatment approach for the AMD. Dr. Phillips Berkeley, UK Medical Director at Pfizer Ltd., added that Pfizer believes that major scientific breakthroughs are only possible through collaboration. Nobody has the knowledge to answer all questions. But through cooperation, you can achieve better results faster. A few years ago, stem cell therapy was just a theory. Being part of a project that has achieved the latest scientific breakthrough in restoring vision is more than satisfactory, Berkeley continues.
Forms of macular degeneration
Almost 50 percent of visual impairments in the developed world are triggered by macular degeneration. Most people over the age of 50 are affected, so the disease is also known as age-related macular degeneration (AMD). According to the experts, around 25 percent of over-60s suffer from the UK. This number will continue to increase in the next few years. In people with AMD, the central view (reading) is impaired. The surrounding field of vision remains normal.
There are two types of AMD, wet and dry. Wet AMD is commonly triggered by abnormal blood vessels. These release fluid or blood into the area of the macula, the center of our retina. Dry AMD is the much more common form of macular degeneration. In dry form, there is a defect or thinning of the layer of retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) in the macula. Such RPE cells support the photosensitive cells of the eyes, which in turn are so important to our vision. There is currently no treatment for dry AMD. (As)