Successfully cure blindness due to macular degeneration

Doctors in the UK have come a long way when successfully treating blindness for an 86-year-old grandfather due to age-related macular degeneration.

However, he is now able to read with this eye by applying a new treatment.

Mr. Waters is one of the first two patients to receive AMD treatment under advanced stem cell therapy at Moorfields Eye Hospital in London (UK).

Another case is a 60-year-old woman. Both suffer from wet macular degeneration.

Currently both eyesight has improved greatly after one year of treatment. From losing their eyesight and being unable to read books, they have been able to read between 60 and 80 words per minute.

Mr. Waters said that before his right eye surgery he could hardly see anything. But then the best thing came to him."It's really amazing! I feel lucky to see it again!", Waters happily shared.

Mr. Douglas Waters, 86, who was successfully cured of blind patients due to macular degeneration.(Photo: Moorfields).

The macular is located in the center of the retina, where many nerve cells are concentrated, playing a very important role in capturing and recognizing the color and sharpness of the image.

The macula is made up of millions of photoreceptors and behind it is a layer of cells that nourish the retina called the Retinal Pigment Epithelium (RPE).

When this nourishing layer is lost, it will cause macular degeneration and blindness.

From the above reason, doctors have come up with the idea of ​​creating a completely new class of RPE with stem cell technology and surgery to transplant into human eyes with macular degeneration.

This new technique, published in Nature Biotechnology, begins with human embryonic stem cells. This is a special cell that can "transform" into any part of the human body and is a precursor to cloning.

These stem cells are converted into cells that make up the retinal pigment epithelium, formed into a layer about 40 microns thick, 6mm long and 4mm wide.

According to doctors, the procedure for transplanting a new RPE layer into the retina takes about two hours.

Professor Lyndon da Cruz, retinal surgeon at Moorfields hospital shared that this is the first time we can take a cell and "turn" it into a part of the damaged eye, then transplant it. return to the eyes and the patient can see.

However, Professor Lyndon da Cruz said the new technique cannot fully restore vision normally and only one eye can be given to each patient.

Looking ahead, there will be 8 more patients with AMD participating in clinical trials.

Worldwide, millions of people suffer from age-related macular degeneration. In the UK alone, there are more than 600,000 cases.