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Stem Cell Treatment To Cure the Most Common Cause of Blindness

Posted by Soulskill on from the i-can-see-clearly-now dept.

The Times Online reports that researchers from the Institute of Ophthalmology at University College London and Moorfields eye hospital have developed stem cell therapy that can treat age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the most common cause of blindness. They are currently moving the treatment through the regulatory approval process, and clinical trials are expected to start within two years. Quoting: "Under the new treatment, embryonic stem cells are transformed into replicas of the missing cells. They are then placed on an artificial membrane which is inserted in the back of the retina. ... [Professor Pete Coffey, director of the London Project to Cure Blindness] said the treatment would take 'less than an hour, so it really could be considered as an outpatient procedure. We are trying to get it out as a common therapy.'

6 of 126 comments (clear)

  1. This is good and all by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    But don't let this discourage any mad scientist from creating ocular implants, especially ones with wifi and defensive laser beams.

    1. Re:This is good and all by defile39 · · Score: 3, Funny

      Perhaps they can be upgraded to transmit and safely receive x-rays.

  2. A treatment to get rid of AMD? by name*censored* · · Score: 5, Funny

    "On hearing the announcement that researchers have found a cure for AMD, a spokesman for computing giant Intel said 'It's about bloody time.'".
     
    /ducks

    --
    Commodore64_love: I don't comprehend people who're so frightened of death that they'll bankrupt themselves to stay alive
  3. The Most Common Cause of Blindness by Idiomatick · · Score: 4, Funny

    Someone tag this !porn because I was seriously confused for a minute.

  4. Re:Still a long way to go... by Dachannien · · Score: 4, Funny

    Why are you abbreviating and then writing out the abbreviation? Doesn't that kind of negate the point of an abbreviation?

    Most people on the Tubes would have saved themselves a lot of time by just writing the commonly-used abbreviation, "WAYAATWOTA? DTKONTPOAA?"

  5. Re:Still a long way to go... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    IANAO IAAO (I am not an Opthomologist, I am an Orthopaedist)

    EIEIO (I am a farmer)