Subject: Stem cell therapy 'to cure blindness' London (PTI): A ray of hope for the visually impaired! Scientists have made a major scientific breakthrough by developing a stem cell therapy to cure blindness. A team in Britain has developed the treatment which involves replacing a layer of degenerated cells with new ones created from embryonic stem cells to cure age-related muscular degeneration, the most common cause of blindness. According to the scientists, it will become a routine, one-hour procedure that will be generally available in six to seven years' time, 'The Sunday Times' reported. Embryonic stem cells have the ability to develop into all types of body tissue. And under the new therapy, embryonic stem cells are transformed into replicas of the missing cells. They are then placed on an artificial membrane that's inserted in the back of the retina. In fact, laboratory trials completed by the team have shown that stem cells can prevent blindness in rodents with a similar disease to AMD. They have also successfully tested elements of the technology in pigs. Lead scientist Prof Pete Coffey of University College London said the treatment would take "less than an hour, so it really could be considered as an outpatient procedure. We are trying to get it out as a common therapy". Added team member Peng Khaw of Moorfields Hospital: "This shows that stem cell therapy is coming of age. It offers great hope for many sufferers around the world who cannot be treated with conventional treatment." Pfizer, the world's largest pharmaceutical research company, is to back it financially to bring the new therapy to patients. "This is a major development because of the size of the partner. We need a big pharmaceutical company to scale it up. This will ensure that the therapy gets through to clinical trials in a safe and effective manner," Prof Coffey said. Visit Healthwatch: The Hindu's wellness blog - ------- Adieu. Saravanan. ______ Please feel free to share your comments, feedbacks and and new ideas! (saravanan.ramado...@gmail.com or saaravanan_2...@hotmail.com) ------------------------------ GOOD FRIENDSHIP IS LIKE THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN EYE & HAND! IF THE HAND IS HURT, THE EYE WILL CRY! & WHEN THE EYE CRIES, THE HAND WILL WIPE THE TEARS!!! "Every man I meet is my superior in some way. In that, I learn of him." Emerson *********
To unsubscribe send a message to accessindia-requ...@accessindia.org.in with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in
