A newly published article in the Proceedings of the National
Academy of Science reports on the positive results of transplanting
stem cells into the retina of mice with age-related macular degeneration
and having the retina develop functioning rod photoreceptors, in other
words, the blind mice could now "see" or at least discriminate between
the presence or absence of light.
There are several popular media articles on this research but they
don't provide enough information to locate the original research
article. What is extra weird about this is that the research was
conducted at Oxford University which had put out a press release
on this research but has removed it from its website. Google has
a cached version of the press release which can be read here:
http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:191pm8ZsRAsJ:www.oxfordmartin.ox.ac.uk/news/2013-stem-cells+&cd=3&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us
Quoting from the press release:
|The researchers worked with mice that are blind due to complete
|loss of the light-sensing photoreceptor cells in their retinas, as this
|is the most relevant mouse model for treating patients who are
|blind from retinitis pigmentosa.
|
|After two weeks, the researchers showed the stem cells transplanted
|into the eye had re-formed a full light-detecting layer on the retina and
|the mice could see.
|
|A pupil constriction test showed that, of the 12 mice that received the
|cell transplant, 10 showed improved pupil constriction in response to
|light. This shows that the retinas of the mice were sensing the light once
|more, and this was being transmitted down the optic nerve to the brain.
|
|The cells used were mouse stem or 'precursor' cells that are on an initial
|path towards developing into retinal cells.
|
|Dr Singh said: 'We found that if enough cells are transplanted together,
|they not only become light sensing but they also regenerate the connections
|required for meaningful vision.'
|
|In looking forward towards potential cell treatments for blindness in
humans,
|Professor MacLaren explains that they would like to use induced pluripotent
|stem cells or iPS cells. These are stem cells that have been generated from
|the patient's own cells, such as skin or blood cells, and can then be
directed
|to form precursors of the retina cells.
One popular media source for this research is the BBC website with
this article:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-20898935
NOTE: The article refers to the researcher Pete Coffee of University
College London but the last name should be spelled "Coffey", like
Michael Clarke Duncan's character in the movie "The Green Mile".
One wonders about the fact checkers at the BBC.
The original article can be accessed here:
http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2013/01/02/1119416110.full.pdf+html?sid=5cede34d-f34a-4ecd-a66e-77c379498d44
-Mike Palij
New York University
[email protected]
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