Scientists from Japan have used restore vision of a 70-year-old woman in an exciting new research project. It is the first successful skin cell transplant of this type.
Cells were gathered from the skin of a 70-year-old woman with age-related macular degeneration. They were then reprogrammed to create induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC). IPSCs are a form of stem cell that can transform into a variety of other cell types including retinal cells.
The retinal cells were transplanted into the patient’s eyes, where they helped to repair some of the damaged caused by the patient’s age-related macular degeneration. It was the first time that researchers have used skin cells to restore vision and a significant scientific breakthrough.
Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of vision impairment in older people. It is a degenerative disease that destroys a person’s central vision.
The patient received the transplant more than two years ago, but researchers have only just released their results. They were presented at the 2016 annual meeting of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) in Seattle.
The IPSCs were coaxed into retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) in the laboratory. They were grown into a very thin sheet of cells, which was transplanted into the patient’s eye.
Lead researcher, Masayo Takahashi, is very happy with the results of the study but believes that many more uses for iPSCs will be discovered: “I am very pleased that there were no complications with the transplant surgery, however, this is only the first step for use of iPSC in regenerative medicine. I have renewed my resolve to continue forging ahead until this treatment becomes available to many patients.”
Researchers are very excited about the potential of stem cells to repair people’s eyesight. Another recent study managed to remove cataracts in babies by manipulating proteins in stem cells. A woman from Baltimore also had her vision restored after 5-years of blindness thanks to a bone marrow stem cells treatment. It is a very promising area of research!
Source: Japanese scientists have used skin cells to restore vision for the first time
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