Posted by 
According to a new pilot clinical trial, new stem cell transplant might restore vision being lost to the dry form of age-related macular degeneration. In the experimental therapy, a specially engineered sheet of stem cells is transplanted into the back wall of the eye to replace a layer of cells destroyed by age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
Currently there is no cure or treatment for the dry form of AMD, which accounts for 80 percent to 90 percent of all cases. The retina- the light-sensitive tissue along the back of the eye wall is slowly destroyed as a result of AMD. As light-sensing cells die off, people’s vision becomes blurry and distorted, and they begin to lose their central vision.
Age-related macular degeneration currently affects many people, it’s a leading cause of severe visual impairment in adults above 65 years. The dry form of AMD involves the loss of a thin layer of cells beneath the retina called retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells. The function of the RPE cells is to support the overlying retina and its photo sensor cells.
Without the nourishment provided by the RPE layer, the retina cannot function normally and begins to die off, permanently damaging vision. To stop the advance of vision loss, researchers engineered a fresh sheet of RPE cells created from embryonic stem cells. Then implanted the new sheet of cells into the eyes of five patients with long-term dry AMD, in a stage I clinical trial.
haleplushearty.org