Author: Joel Harrison
Posted: 17 May 2010 17:59
Three patients seem to have regained their eyesight after treatment with the use of special contact lenses. The patients suffered from blindness (or, in the case of one of them, from severe visual impairment) caused by irreparable corneal damage. The treatment consisted in preparing stem cells from material taken from the participants of the trial, culturing them on the surface of the lenses for ten days, and then asking the participants to wear these lenses.
The results were remarkable. Within a single month, the stem cells regenerated the damaged corneas, allowing the two previously blind patients to read texts in large print. The third participant’s eyesight improved so much that he was even able to pass his driving test.
However, the scientists who run the trial remain cautious. They emphasise that it is yet to be seen whether the improvement will be permanent or not. In addition, they point out, the method needs to be tested on a significantly larger number of subjects before it can be considered safe and effective.
Nonetheless, it is uplifting to think that lens not much different from the daily contact lenses that are worn by millions of people worldwide may soon be used to cure blindness.
