AMD Stem Cell Treatment

admin — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 16:51:06 +0000

Stem cell research looks to cure age-related macular degeneration (AMD), increasing the pharmaceutical industry’s growing confidence in the medical potential of stem cells.

The prospect of using embryonic stem cells to treat the most common cause of blindness in humans has moved closer after a major investment was made into research from the world’s largest drug company, Pfizer.

This is HUGE is the world of stem cells and their potential for curing so many terminal illnesses.

This injection of private funding will help the research team to turn its scientific discoveries into a medical therapy for AMD. It affects more than 500,000 people in Britain and is the number one common cause of blindness.

The UCL group, led by Professor Pete Coffey, has used embryonic stem cells to grow eye tissue that was destroyed in AMD and has transplanted it into animal eyes to reverse eye damage from the disease.

Professor Coffey’s team intends to begin human patient trials in 2010 or 2011 and will receive funding support from Pfizer. The company will also provide the facilities for producing therapeutic cells to treat people who are ready to have this form of surgery.

Pfizer will have an exclusive option to conduct clinical trials of the therapy and to commercialize any product that emerges from them. This is where Pfizer plans to benefit from their investment. Financial details of the agreement have not yet been disclosed.

How Stem Cells Work:

Stem Cell Therapy Could Cure AMD Blindess Within the Decade

admin — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 20:08:05 +0000

Scientists in Britain have developed the world’s first stem cell therapy to cure the most common cause of blindness. The treatment will tackle age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the most common cause of blindness. Many respected surgeons are predicting that it will become a routine, one-hour procedure that will be generally available in six or seven years’ time.
The treatment involves replacing a layer of degenerated cells with new ones created from embryonic stem cells. It was pioneered by scientists and surgeons from the Institute of Ophthalmology at University College London and Moorfields eye hospital.
Pfizer, the world’s largest pharmaceutical research company, will announce its financial backing to bring the therapy to patients.

Stem Cell and Umbilical Cord Blood Information » AMD

AMD Stem Cell Treatment

Stem Cell Therapy Could Cure AMD Blindess Within the Decade