Stem cells reverse blindness caused by burns

[Nuclear Unicorn]

Source: Associated Press

LOS ANGELES – Dozens of people who were blinded or otherwise suffered severe eye damage when they were splashed with caustic chemicals had their sight restored with transplants of their own stem cells — a stunning success for the burgeoning cell-therapy field, Italian researchers reported Wednesday.

The treatment worked completely in 82 of 107 eyes and partially in 14 others, with benefits lasting up to a decade so far. One man whose eyes were severely damaged more than 60 years ago now has near-normal vision.

"This is a roaring success," said ophthalmologist Dr. Ivan Schwab of the University of California, Davis, who had no role in the study — the longest and largest of its kind.


Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100623/ap_on_he_me/us_med_stem_cells_blindness

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Because we need a little good news for a change.

[BrklynLiberal]

1. Wow! what incredibly good news!!!!

Some of the descriptions of the tragic situations made me think of this old, old story...

http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/film/article4212049.ece

[AngryAmish]

2. Holy fucking shit!

This is motherfucking important news.

[hedgehog]

3. But, but , but, we've been told for years that only fetal stem cells are any good!

:hide:

[demwing]

4. This is a modern miracle

If anyone has an argument against stem stell research, I suggest they take it to the man who had his vision restored after 60 years, and see what he thinks.

[Raspberry]

5. I don't know of ANYONE

who opposes the use of ADULT stem cells, which is what this treatment utilizes. It's EMBRYONIC stem cell research that is controversial, and to my knowledge, stem cell research has come up with zero effective treatments of anything.

[demwing]

7. You're right about the source - I missed that critical part.

My fault.

[Nuclear Unicorn]

8. You know...there isn't enough of this kind of honesty on the internet

Or the whole planet for that matter.

Thank-you for refreshing my faith in people.

Honestly and sincerely.

:toast:

[Yo_Mama]

12. Yeah, embryonic transplants cause cancer

But they are working on that problem. Here is a recent project trying to overcome it.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/06/100608211604.htm

Still "far fewer tumors" leaves a long way to go before it can be tried in humans. Previous trials were halted because of the disastrous results.

[Duer 157099]

6. Can you imagine the restraint it took to wait 10 years to publish this?

Researcher #1: "Wow, this stem cell transplant has repaired this guy's vision! Let's publish!!"

Researcher #2: "Naw... we need to wait awhile to see if it really takes."

... 6 months later...

Researcher #1: "OK, it's been 6 months and the results have been remarkable, let's publish!"

Researcher #2: "Yeah, it's very nice, but I think if we want to get it into a *really* good journal, we'll have to wait a bit longer."

... 1 year later...

Researcher #1: "Now? Can we at least submit it??
Researcher #2: "Eh, I don't know, I think we still need to wait."

... 2 years later...

(Researcher #1 has moved to a different department but stays in touch by email)

Researcher #1: "So, have you got the paper ready for submission yet?"
Researcher #2: "Well, you know me, I like to be conservative. Plus, I've had tenure for years and have grants up the wazoo, so I can wait. I want to be really certain, you know?"

... 5 years later...

(Researcher #1, plus many others from the original team have lost their grants and are currently unemployed)

Researcher #1: "Hey, checking in from the public library computer. Did you ever publish that paper?"
Researcher #2: "No, we've been busy, but any day now we'll get on it."

... 10 years later...

Researcher #2: "Well, I think that we can finally really trust the result"

[TPaine7]

9. Wow!!!! Thanks for posting.

[Oerdin]

10. Good stuff

There is so much good stuff like this which has come out and which is coming out of stem cell research. Think of where this stuff would be if Bush hadn't restricted stem cell research so much.

[Yo_Mama]

11. Bush never restricted adult stem cell research

As far as I know, no one has ever even suggested restricting adult stem cell research. Actually, I'm pretty sure that Bush allowed federally funded embryonic stem cell research on existing cell lines, but withheld it from new ones. However private money has never been blocked.

These treatments avoided the rejection process by using stem cells taken from the patients' own bodies.

So far, embryonic stem cell research has caused some disastrous side effects.

It is important for EVERYONE to understand the difference, because funding for adult stem cell research might be impaired by the problems with the embryonic. And then there's using other people's stem cells for treatment, which has caused problems also. But this is great news - it shows what is possible, and any treatment with such a stunning success record offers a tremendous amount of hope to those with severe eye damage.

Recently CA offered most of its grants under its own stem cell research program to this type of research - adult stem cell research - because of the promise it has shown.

[Igel]

14. It's actually worse than that.

Bush II submitted the first budget with NIH funds specifically marked for stem-cell research, whether adult or HESC. Trying to square the circle he permitted some 7 or 11 (some relatively small number) of HESC lines to be used for federally funded research; however, to prevent gaming the system the legislation required that monies used for approved HESC lines not fund equipment or labs that also assisted in research using non-approved HESC lines.

Not only "didn't restrict" adult SC research, but increased spending for it. HESC research, not so much.

Then again, I knew a post-doc working on unapproved HESC lines using private grant money. Thing is, he wanted it kept secret because he was afraid that if anybody found out there'd be protesters. Speaks more to his fear than to the rabidity of any protesters, if you ask me.

[Yo_Mama]

13. Thank you for posting this

We did need the good news, and this - this is TERRIFIC news. There are incredible pictures of patients' eyes at the link.