Human Stem Cells May Restore Vision to Blind Patients

A January 23 “Washington Post” article shared exciting news about the use of stem cells to correct vision. The article states that stem cells have the potential to repair delicate ocular tissues, such as the surface of the eye after burns or severe injury, or in the case of the retina, retinal tears or degeneration. Perhaps one day stem cells might even be used to repair the center of vision, known as the macula, in age-related macular degeneration.  Age-related macular degeneration is a disease of the retina that gradually destroys sharp central vision, and this can lead to problems with daily tasks such as driving and reading. AMD is currently the leading cause of vision loss in people over the age of 60. At this point, the study of stem cells and their use in the eye are in their infancy, but these techniques and technologies are rapidly advancing  the effort to ...