UCLA #StemCells study shows promise in improving vision

UCLA has made the headlines this week as results are published for a stem cells study to improve vision.

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This week the University of California, Los Angeles revealed clinical trials they had conducted on two patients suffering from macular degeneration – one of the main causes of blindness. The treatment used human embryonic stem cells, and has shown encouraging results in improving vision among the individuals tested.

The patients, who were both considered legally blind at the beginning of the study, have shown significant improvement in their eyesight. According to Dr. Steven D. Schwartz, a retina specialist at UCLA who treated the patients, "It’s a big step forward for regenerative medicine."

There are benefits to implanting stem cells into the eye, as there is less of a chance of the tissue there rejecting the cells. This is due to a decrease in the strength of the immune system in that tissue.

Only two patients were involved and there was no control group, so the study does not provide any conclusive evidence. It is undeniable, however, that the study shows promise and a step in the right direction for the stem cells industry.

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Interested in keeping up with the newest advances in stem cells? Check out our Stem Cells USA & Regenerative Medicine Congress, taking place in September 2012.