A revolutionary technique that promises to restore the sight of millions has been carried out for the first time worldwide in a British hospital.
Taking as little as 45 minutes, the procedure offers hope to those with age-related macular degeneration, the leading cause of blindness in adults globally.
It affects more than 600,000 adults in the UK, blighting the lives of a quarter of the over-60s.
In the breakthrough developed at University College London, doctors inserted a patch of stem cells into the retina of a woman who has lost her central vision.
They hope the procedure, carried out at Moorfields Eye Hospital in the capital, will restore the 60-year-old’s sight but will not know the outcome until December.
However, doctors said she suffered no complications and her eye is recovering well from the procedure.
This first operation has begun a clinical trial involving ten patients. If successful, the technique could be available on the NHS within two-and-a-half years.
The procedure, which has attracted the support of medical giant Pfizer, is carried out under local anaesthetic. It involves taking a single embryonic stem cell and growing it into a 6mm patch of 100,000 retinal pigment cells.
That patch is then rolled into a thin tube, which is injected through a tiny slit in the eye.
Once unfurled, it is placed behind the retina where scientists hope it will replace the faulty cells.
The operation is a milestone in the London Project to Cure Blindness established ten years ago with the aim of curing vision loss in patients with age-related macular degeneration.
The first step has been carried out on the wet form of the condition when a patient bleeds at the back of the eye. But scientists are confident it could also be used for the more common dry AMD, which affects 85 per cent of British sufferers.
The Latest on: Age-related macular degeneration
[google_news title=”” keyword=”age-related macular degeneration” num_posts=”10″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]
via Google News
The Latest on: Age-related macular degeneration
- Age related macular degeneration: What to ask your doctoron May 6, 2024 at 4:59 pm
We've tried to contact you several times as we haven't been able to take payment. You must update your payment details via My Account or by clicking update payment details to keep your ...
- AsclepiX Therapeutics Completes Enrollment in DISCOVER Trial for Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration (nAMD)on May 6, 2024 at 5:00 am
The DISCOVER Phase 1/2a trial is an open-label, single ascending dose, 9-month study that will evaluate the safety and bioactivity of AXT107 ...
- Home-monitoring tests lack satisfactory diagnostic accuracy to identify neovascular age-related macular degeneration:JAMAon May 5, 2024 at 7:30 am
A recent study found home-monitoring tests as a potential solution to reduce the burden of neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) on patients and healthcare systems. The ...
- Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degenerationon May 2, 2024 at 5:00 pm
Anti-Vascular Endothelium Growth Factor. Results from a phase I clinical trial using an anti-VEGF pegylated aptamer (Macugen TM, EyeTech Pharmaceuticals, New York, NY) have been published.
- Macular Degeneration: 11 Ways to Protect Your Eyeson May 2, 2024 at 9:17 am
It is crucial to be aware of the risk factors and symptoms associated with AMD to detect and manage the condition early.
- What Is Wet Age-Related Macular Degeneration?on May 1, 2024 at 5:00 pm
To help detect or confirm a diagnosis of wet AMD, your doctor may perform other tests and procedures, including the following: Both dry and wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD) involve ...
- Local group helps macular degeneration patients cope with vision losson April 26, 2024 at 3:07 am
To provide opportunity for encouragement, Phoenix-based Associated Retina Consultants, in coordination with the International Low Vision Support Group, has established a Macular Degeneration Support ...
- High dose aflibercept may be promising for treatment of age-related macular degenerationon April 24, 2024 at 2:55 pm
Aflibercept 8 mg was non-inferior to 2 mg for best-corrected visual acuity at 48 weeks. 2. Ocular adverse events were comparable across treatment groups. Evidence Rating Level: 1 (Excellent) Study ...
- Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degenerationon April 17, 2024 at 5:00 pm
Choroidal neovascularization is the primary cause of visual loss in patients with age-related macular degeneration. Current treatments, proven to offer a benefit for these patients through ...
- Atrophic macular degeneration: What to knowon April 15, 2024 at 5:00 pm
Atrophic macular degeneration, or geographic atrophy, is an advanced stage of dry age-related macular degeneration. Destruction of the cells — known as atrophy — in the retina can eventually ...
via Bing News
