For the first time ever, patients with severe vision loss caused by age-related macular degeneration (AMD) have regained the ability to read, thanks to a new treatment using stem cells. In a clinical study, two people with wet AMD were able to read again after receiving a special patch made from lab-grown retinal cells.
This breakthrough is part of the London Project to Cure Blindness, a collaboration between University College London and Moorfields Eye Hospital, and is being hailed as a major step forward in treating one of the leading causes of vision loss.
What the Study Did
Researchers developed a thin patch of retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells using stem cells. These RPE cells help support and nourish the retina, which is damaged in people with AMD.
Using a specially designed surgical tool, doctors implanted this patch under the retina of two patients—a woman in her early 60s and a man in his 80s—both of whom had severe wet AMD and could no longer read, even with glasses.
The surgery took just one to two hours.
Promising Results
After 12 months of follow-up, both patients showed remarkable improvement. They went from being unable to read at all to reading 60–80 words per minute using normal reading glasses.
One of the patients, 86-year-old Douglas Waters from London, said the treatment gave him his life back.
“Before the operation, I couldn’t see anything out of my right eye,” Waters said. “Now, I can read the newspaper and even help my wife in the garden. It’s brilliant.”
How It Works
The retina is a delicate part of the eye made up of several layers. The RPE layer, in particular, plays a vital role by nourishing the retina and separating it from the blood supply.
In AMD, this layer gets damaged. Using stem cells, scientists created a healthy layer of RPE cells in the lab, placed it on a tiny patch, and inserted it into the back of the eye. This new layer supports the retina and helps restore vision.
A Step Toward a Widely Available Treatment
Professor Pete Coffey of UCL says this is “real progress in regenerative medicine,” and it could lead to an affordable, ready-to-use treatment available through the NHS within the next five years.
While the trial involved only two patients, the results are encouraging. Researchers hope to expand the study and bring this therapy to many more people living with AMD.
Understanding AMD
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most common cause of vision loss in the developed world. It mainly affects people over 60 and impacts the central part of vision, which is used for reading, recognizing faces, and other everyday tasks.
There are two main types:
Wet AMD: Rapid vision loss caused by abnormal blood vessels leaking under the retina.
Dry AMD: Slower-progressing form caused by the breakdown of RPE cells.
Currently, wet AMD can be managed with frequent eye injections, but there’s no cure. Dry AMD, which affects 90% of AMD patients, has no treatment at all once vision is lost.
This new stem cell patch offers hope that could one day change that.
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