Some blind patients regain sight via stem cells

 For Stem Cell Treatment:

Dozens who were blinded or suffered eye damage as a result of being splashed with caustic chemicals have regained their sight following transplants of their own stem cells. This is an astonishing success for the cell-therapy field.
The treatment was a complete success in 82 of 107 eyes. It was a partially success in 14 others – 96 eyes cured or benefited in total. The improvements have lasted up to a decade so far. One individual, whose eyes were severely damaged over 60 years ago, now enjoys near-normal vision.
Ophthalmologist Ivan Schwab of the University of California at Davis said, "This is a roaring success." Schwab had no role in the study.
Stem cell transplants provide hope to people who have had chemical burns on their corneas, whether from heavy-duty cleansers or other substances. Such accidents afflict thousands the world over every year.
This approach will not help patients with macular degeneration or damage to the optic nerve. Nor is it a viable treatment for people who are completely blind in both eyes, since doctors need some healthy tissue they can use to transplant.
In the study, which was published online by the New England Journal of Medicine, researchers took some stem cells from a patient's healthy eye, grew them in a lab, and transplanted them into the burned eye. There, they were able to develop new corneal tissue to replace the tissue that had been damaged. Since the stem cells come from their own bodies, the patients need no anti-rejection drugs.
The study, which took place between 1998 and 2007, involved 106 patients. Most had severe damage in one eye. Some had such limited vision they could sense nothing but light or perceive hand motions. Many had been blind for years and had undergone unsuccessful operations to restore their sight.