Blind mice see after cell transplant
Study suggests newborn cells best for transfer.
Using a technique that may one day help blind people to see, researchers have shown in mice that retinal cells from newborns transplanted into the eyes of blind adults wire up correctly and help them to detect light.
Read the story here.
Comments
I have CRVO, not as bad as being totally blind but its still very frustrating.
I really hope that this is a cure, i would love to be able to see properly again.
I am 44 and i have lost the central vision in my right eye.
Posted by: Chris Rodway | November 8, 2006 07:28 PM
hi my mum has rp and we are very exited about the new revelations, im just wondering if there is any way we can find out more info about this latest discovery or weather my mum could possibly be used as a guiny pig.
Kind regards
Posted by: gemma read | November 8, 2006 07:49 PM
How wonderful!!!
My wife , who works for a charity for the blind cried when she saw the news report of this research. 70% of their members have MD.
Posted by: John Ball | November 8, 2006 08:14 PM
Hi
I am the father of a child that was born with bi-lateral coloboma, he has had a retinal detachment in his right eye and we have been told that there is a possibility that his left eye could suffer the same fate.Could this future treatment be beneficial for my son??
Regards
J.Payne
Posted by: John Payne | November 8, 2006 08:22 PM
very exited could this be a break through in treatment for DRY MACULAR DEGENERATION
Posted by: valerie freeth | November 8, 2006 09:45 PM
I only hope this treatment can come to fruition. See, my legally blind father has RP, and was the "victim" of a prior retinal transplant study based on immature technology at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. Needless to say by the use of the word victim, the study was shut down by the human research oversight committee, the ex-department head program leader left the University very soon after due to non-disclosed reasons, and the surgery made his very limited vision even worse. If this new therapy can pan out, perhaps he could lead a normal retirement life, retired from teaching this year.
Posted by: Steve Diver | November 8, 2006 10:25 PM
I am so pleased to hear the hopeful news! My mother suffers from retinitis pigmentosa since small and there is nothing else I would wish her then to find the treatment for her sight. I totally support the stem cell research.
Posted by: Zaneta Kucerova | November 8, 2006 11:16 PM
Mr Robert MacLaren
i m Faisal Malik from Pakistan, My 3 years old daughter Maryam is tottly blind..i read every day about health news and today i m very happy to see this news...
pls sir 1st you read my Maryam Case summery .
Mariam Baby girl of Raffat Malik was born 7 Aug 2003 at Azra hospital , at 32 weeks of gestationl age.She was transferred to our hospital at an age of 12 days for prematurity and full blown sepsis. She was seen by the Ophthalmologist for advanced stage of ROP,examination under anesthesia was done,and total DETACHMENT OF RETINA was diagnosed.
She is being followed in our clinics and as well as Ophthalmology for her underlying eye problems.
Mr Robert MacLaren i m very greatfull if you feedback about this issue
A hopeful Father
Faisal Malik
Posted by: Faisal malik | November 9, 2006 09:54 AM
Well , I am so glad about this news! I suffer retinitis pigmentosa. I am 54 years old. But it will take 10 years for a possible cure. Can it not be sooner?
Thanks for the good news
Posted by: John Lambrinakos | November 9, 2006 10:23 AM
Surely this is a positive step forward especially for those who have Usher Syndrome (R.P. with deafness) like myself. I know that losing sight in later life as well as being deaf can be horrible due lack of communications through outside life without hearing and seeing!
Posted by: Jeremy Morgan | November 9, 2006 12:45 PM
My son is 3 years old, whit a Cotas Desease on the right eye, it,s supouse a new future
Posted by: Angel Casado | November 9, 2006 12:55 PM
Having been told only last week that our seven year old son Warner suffers from retinitis pigmentosa we are completely thrilled by hearing about this breakthrough. We have prayed for scientific development and insight and now we hear this wonderful news! We congratulate the researchers with this breakthrough and hope it will help many people in the future to have a better and enjoyable life.
Gijsbert and Laura den Hertog, hopeful parents
Posted by: laura den hertog | November 9, 2006 01:12 PM
I think these very interesting findings unfortunately are still far away from any therapeutic application. Where are the necessary cells at the specific developmental stage supposed to be obtained from?
The availability of donor cells is very low due to limitations of developmental stage and immune response.
For the use of stem cells, a way has to be found to bring them to the right developmental stage for implantation. It will take years to accomplish this task. And keep in mind that NIH stopped all funding for research on embryonic stem cells.
Posted by: FHM | November 9, 2006 03:15 PM
Congratulations!!!~~
Posted by: JongRyool Lee | November 9, 2006 03:39 PM
Hello! I am a visually impairde person for RP. In Korea(South) there are many people suffering from RP like ather countries(approximetely 10,000) We are sincerely looking forward to cure our disease. I know there are many things to do for developing a therapeutic application. We really wish for a possible treatment and cure to come true sooner. Thanks
Posted by: Changjin Baek | November 10, 2006 07:51 AM
Upon reading many of the E-mails from those who are directly or indirectly affected by vision problems, I am touched by the hope that this engenders in these individuals and their families. I am a Christian and believe that God can heal directly as well as allow the Medical profession to bring healing to needy individuals. My sincere congratulations to those who have carried out this successful research upon mice.
Posted by: John Mac Lellan | November 10, 2006 02:20 PM
Always interesting to hear of new developments in the search for sight replacement -- but as someone totaly blind for 15 years I recommend a healthy dose
of caution. Of course this sounds very, very exciting, to use the words of one of the researchers -- but enabling mice to see light from retinal transfer
is an important but tiny step towards the goal of restoring sight to failed human retinas. Every year in my blind life has brought the 'latest new cure
for blindness'...in reality we are no nearer our goal now than we were a decade or so ago. This is not about spoiling the party; it is about not raising
false hopes for visually impaired people worldwide, their families and friends.
Richard Lane
Posted by: Richard Lane | November 15, 2006 06:38 PM
hi, my daughter is borned in 32 gestational stage and she suffer from ROP. a laser treatement is done for her left eye because it was in stage 3 while the right eye was good.
the laser teratement wasnt beneficial for her and the disease progress and complete retinal detachemeny occurs.
now the right eye proceed in the same way as the left and now my dear baby jenny is losing the two eyes... doctors told me that she will not be able to see and that i shall prepare myself to have a blind child.
So please tell me is there anything can be done for my baby , can i transplant a new eyes for her ? is this available now??
baby jenny is 1 year now and i hope she could have a normal life in the future, still has the hope.
please answer me and tell me what are her chances .
thanks for your attention and god bless you
Posted by: Mark botros | May 17, 2007 12:14 AM
hi Mr Robert MacLaren, my daughter is borned in 31 gestational stage and she suffer from ROP. a laser treatement is done for her left eye because it was in stage 3 while the right eye was good.
the laser teratement wasnt beneficial for her and the disease progress and complete retinal detachemeny occurs.
now the right eye proceed in the same way as the left and now my dear baby jenny is losing the two eyes... doctors told me that she will not be able to see and that i shall prepare myself to have a blind child.
So please tell me is there anything can be done for my baby , can i transplant a new eyes for her ? is this available now??
baby jenny is 1 year now and i hope she could have a normal life in the future, still has the hope.
please answer me and tell me what are her chances .
thanks for your attention and god bless you
Mr Robert MacLaren i m very greatfull if you feedback about this issue
Posted by: mark botros | May 17, 2007 03:12 PM
hi, a friend of mine has RP. As you would expect he is rather anxious as to how far is a cure for this terrible disease. Or if you know any new scientific break throughs which at least offer himsome hope and keep him going longer. thank you for your time
Posted by: ibsta | April 26, 2008 10:23 PM
Dear Dr.Maclaren,
I have three sons one of them, the elder one is perfectly normal but the other two,aged 2yrs and an infant of 4 months are both blind. My 2yr old son was born blind the doctors say that his retinas were not fully formed and hence detached itself at birth.
My second son was born at 32weeks and suffers from Rop despite laser treatment and surgery the retina in one of his eyes is detached. The other eye has a lot of bleeding but the retina seems to be attached at present the doctors in India are treating him. I hope your research can help my sons see soon. I would be eternally grateful if you could send me a feedback.
Posted by: cheryl da silva | May 31, 2008 11:36 AM