Stem cell transplant gives hope for treating age-related sight loss

A recent breakthrough in vision restoration has been achieved through a groundbreaking experiment involving a transplant of human stem cells into a monkey’s retina. This innovative procedure has shown promising results in improving vision and offers hope for the treatment of age-related sight loss caused by retinal holes.

Age-related sight loss is often a result of the thickening of the gel-like fluid in the eye, which can lead to the formation of holes in the retina. These holes can cause vision problems such as blurred or patchy vision. While traditional treatments involve transferring tissue from other parts of the eye to repair retinal holes, these methods can sometimes result in recurring issues.

Researchers, led by Michiko Mandai at the Kobe City Eye Hospital in Japan, developed a novel approach using stem cells derived from human embryos. These stem cells were cultivated into precursor cells of retinal cells and then transplanted into a one-millimeter-wide hole in the retina of a snow monkey (Macaca fuscata) that had previously exhibited vision impairment in tests.

The monkey underwent a series of sight tests post-transplant, focusing on fixing its gaze on dots displayed on a screen. Prior to the transplant, the monkey could only fixate on 1.5% of the dots. However, six months after the procedure, the monkey showed significant improvement, fixing its gaze on between 11 and 26% of the dots during the tests.

Although the monkey’s improved vision indicates the success of the transplant, further research involving a larger sample size of non-human animals is necessary. Marius Ader, a researcher at Dresden University of Technology in Germany, suggests that if these studies yield positive results, the approach could be applied to humans, given the similarities in eye structure between primates.