Scientists develop 'cure' for blindness
1 Oct 2014
Stem cell discovery could lead to better treatments for blindness, new research suggests.
Scientists at the University of Southampton have discovered special stem cells in a region on the front surface of the eye that could be manipulated to treat blinding eye conditions.
The part of the eye being studied is known as the ’corneal limbus’ and is a narrow gap lying between the transparent cornea and white sclera.
“These cells are readily accessible…which makes them an attractive cell resource for future therapies
Study leader Andrew Lotery
According to research, which has been published in the journal PLOS ONE, stem cells can be cultured from the corneal limbus in vitro.
The researchers said that under the correct culture conditions, these stem cells could be directed to behave like photoreceptor cells which are needed to see light.
Researchers hope their discovery could lead to novel treatments for conditions such as age-related macular degeneration, the leading cause of blindness in the developed world which affects around one in three people in the UK by the age of 75.
Andrew Lotery, who led the study, said: “These cells are readily accessible, and they have surprising plasticity, which makes them an attractive cell resource for future therapies. This would help avoid complications with rejection or contamination because the cells taken from the eye would be returned to the same patient.
Eventually, researchers hope to mobilise their findings to conduct clinical trials and offer the treament to those who suffer from blindness.
“More research is now needed to develop this approach before these cells are used in patients,” Lotery said.
