Stem Cells Fix Rat Retinas

Scientitsts at Advanced Cell Technology report they've prevented eye damage in rats with degenerative eye disorders by transplanting embryonic stem cells.

In the rat experiment, the scientists used some of the same cells that caused a hubbub in August when the company announced it had found a way to derive embryonic stem cells without harming embryos.

The research "shows a lot of hope and a lot of potential,'' said N.A. Adams, chief of the division of visual physiology at Hopkins's Wilmer Eye Institute in Baltimore, in a telephone interview yesterday. The technique is "not at the stage where we can do this in humans, but it certainly does progress the field.''

Lanza said scientists are seeking ways to use stem cells to prevent conditions such as age-related macular degeneration, which affects 30 million people worldwide.

The retina research was published on Thursday in the jounal Cloning and Stem Cells.