Thursday, February 2, 2012

Groundbreaking eye disease treatment trials to begin

cells derived from human embryonic stem cells for use in an attempt to slow, halt or reverse the effects of macular degeneration and dystrophy

A group of patients with eye disease common, incurable but that can lead to blindness must be injected cells in their eyes when two pioneering trials of a therapy that could cure the harm caused by the conditions.

Doctors have developed plans to address the first of the 24 patients were enrolled in the trials, from July, at the Jules Stein Eye Institute, University of California at Los Angeles.

medical teams expect

slow, stop or even reverse the effects of the disease by injecting cells in the retina of the eye. . The treatment is controversial because the replacement of cells of the retina -. Known as the EPR, or cells of the retinal pigment epithelium-derived human embryonic stem cells

The announcement of these tests is a reference to cell technology company in the Massachusetts-based Advanced, which has been the development of therapy for 10 years.

In one trial, treatment should be given to ten patients with dry eye disorder called macular degeneration age-related dry (dry AMD). The second trial will focus on the same number of patients the disease called Stargardt's macular dystrophy, which usually strikes young people, aged 10 to 20.

early phase trials will focus on the safety of the therapy, which will be evaluated by doctors over 12 months. Patients in each trial was divided into four groups of three, each group receiving a different number of cells in the treatment.

In both diseases, vision loss is caused by thickening of the retinal pigment epithelium cells of the retina in the center of the retina, the region where the eye is its sharper images . Loss of RPE cells leads to the sensitive cells die in the retina and eventual loss of vision and even blindness.

If the treatment is effective as doctors hope, the RPE cells freshly prepared, which will be injected into the eye, will grow and eventually restore the retina to a state capable of supporting cells photosensitive necessary for the view.


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