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Sunday, April 03, 2005
Retinal Cells From Embryonic Stem Cells
Advanced Cell Technology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine and University of Chicago researchers derived retinal cells from embryonic stem cells in September of last year.
The cells could help treat people with macular degeneration, which affects more than 30 million people worldwide. The disease gradually causes complete loss of sight and is the leading cause of blindness in people older than 60 in the United States. The cells could also help people with retinitis pigmentosa, which afflicts about 75,000 people in the United States.
'Stem Cells May Open Some Eyes,' Wired 24 September 2004. The study was published in the 3 November 2004 issue of Cloning and Stem Cells.
Thanks to Tony from the United Kingdom for drawing my attention to this research!
"These cells actually make the cones and rods," said Robert Lanza, chief scientific officer at Advanced Cell Technology and lead author of the paper. "We're in a position to not only maintain vision so you don't get further loss, but these cells appear to want to form entire eyeballs."
The cells could help treat people with macular degeneration, which affects more than 30 million people worldwide. The disease gradually causes complete loss of sight and is the leading cause of blindness in people older than 60 in the United States. The cells could also help people with retinitis pigmentosa, which afflicts about 75,000 people in the United States.
'Stem Cells May Open Some Eyes,' Wired 24 September 2004. The study was published in the 3 November 2004 issue of Cloning and Stem Cells.
Thanks to Tony from the United Kingdom for drawing my attention to this research!
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