This video from BBC documents the latest pioneering in stem cell applications as surgeons in the UK test a new treatment for age-related macular degeneration following 10 years of intensive development. The trial results are ongoing. The video is embedded below, with key points to take away from this groundbreaking trial treatment.
Key Points Include:
- Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) causes central vision loss that blurs and distorts one’s sight. The distortion may appear as a white or gray cloud blocking vision. There are 2 forms of AMD: wet and dry. Wet AMD is caused by over-growth of the macula resulting in fluid leaks that damage the retina. The more common dry form results from the deterioration of the macula
- Surgeons in the UK have derived specialized cells from a donated human embryo smaller than a pinhead and have injected them into the eyes of an unnamed 60 year-old patient suffering from vision loss caused by AMD
- A trial with 10 patients will be monitored for a year to assess the safety and efficacy of the treatment, the purpose of which is to reconstruct the macula
- The treatment can be used for both wet and dry forms of AMD
- The cost of treatment and when it might be available is not known, but if the trial treatment is a success it will be a major advancement in the field of medicine as a cure the most common cause of blindness!