Blindness affects many Americans every year. Blindness can be caused by a number of medical conditions, although there are three types of eye conditions that cause most blindness. These three eye conditions can be successfully treated with stem cell therapies to prevent or slow down the complete loss of vision. Macular Degeneration Age-related macular degeneration [Read More]
Stem cell therapy has been used for a number of conditions over the last several years. Although research and clinical trials are ongoing, new treatments using stem cells are being discovered every day. One of the latest uses of stem cells is in the treatment of the cornea of the eye. Here’s what you need [Read More]
Two clinical trials are expected to start soon to assess the ability of stem cells to treat macular degeneration, a leading cause of blindness in people over 50 years old. One trial uses cells derived from human embryonic stem cells, while the other uses induced pluripotent stem cells (1). Macular Degeneration Age-related macular degeneration is [Read More]
The healing of corneal wounds is a complex process. Delayed or incomplete healing of the cornea is a cause for concern. Now, a new study has shown that stem cells could prove helpful in people with complicated corneal wound healing. Corneal Wounds: An Overview The cornea is the outermost layer of the eye and is [Read More]
Researchers in Japan have made what may be a remarkable breakthrough in the treatment of macular degeneration. In a procedure that could make stem cell transplantation a reality, a man with age-related macular degeneration received iPSCs (induced pluripotent stem cells) derived from a donor’s skin cells. The multi-step procedure involved converting the donor iPSCs to [Read More]
Glaucoma is known as one of the most common causes of vision loss and blindness in older Americans. Despite its prevalence, there is still no cure for it. While treatments can prevent the disease from worsening, nothing can reverse the damage caused by glaucoma. Scientists are now studying the applications of regenerative medicine to determine [Read More]
Before the dawn of the age of stem cell therapy, irreversible diseases, conditions, and injuries were just that: incurable. But over the past few years, stem cell research has indisputably proven that the impossible is now possible. One recent study, for example, experimented with growing new retina tissue in mice with end-stage retinal degeneration. The [Read More]
With an eye on the future, the International Glaucoma Association and the UK and Eire Glaucoma Society have released funding to Professor Colin Willoughby and Dr. Carl Sheridan of the University of Liverpool’s Institute of Ageing and Chronic Diseases. This stimulus fund will be used to develop stem cell treatments for glaucoma. The type of [Read More]
Gene manipulation and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) are at the cutting edge of regenerative medicine. Research is underway in using these cellular and genome-editing techniques to treat innumerable diseases afflicting human beings, but their use in repairing the damages of aging have ethical and cultural implications. However, there is a growing change in attitude [Read More]
