Stem cell therapy helps AMD patients see again
14 hours ago
- #vision-restoration
- #macular-degeneration
- #stem-cell-therapy
- Stem cell transplants show early promise in restoring vision for advanced dry macular degeneration (AMD) patients.
- A phase 1/2a clinical trial tested retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) stem cells derived from adult postmortem eye tissue.
- The treatment proved safe with no serious inflammation or tumor growth reported in participants.
- Participants in the low-dose group (50,000 cells) showed measurable vision improvements in the treated eye, reading 21 additional letters on an eye chart one year post-treatment.
- Higher-dose groups (150,000 and 250,000 cells) are currently being monitored for safety and efficacy.
- AMD affects over 20 million U.S. adults, primarily those over 60, causing central vision loss.
- Current AMD treatments slow progression but cannot restore lost vision, making stem cell therapy a promising alternative.
- The study, funded by NIH, is a first-in-human trial conducted at the University of Michigan.