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Health

xchrom

(108,903 posts) Sun Mar 11, 2012, 11:20 AM Mar 2012

Human stem cells 'help blind rats'

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-17258098

More than one in 10 people over the age of 75 have some form of glaucoma

Stem cells taken from the back of a human eye have restored some vision to blind rats, according to researchers.

They say the findings could help treat blindness, caused by glaucoma, if similar results can be repeated in humans.

The study, published in the journal Stem Cells Translational Medicine, used the cells to form new nerves in the eye.

These hooked up with the existing nerves, restoring sight.

4 replies

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Human stem cells 'help blind rats' (Original Post) xchrom Mar 2012 OP

Makes me so very hopeful for treatment of many illness related blindness FarPoint Mar 2012 #1

Just had a thought FarPoint Mar 2012 #2

Who is so cruel as to blind rats ? eppur_se_muova Mar 2012 #3

... xchrom Mar 2012 #4

FarPoint

(12,425 posts)

1. Makes me so very hopeful for treatment of many illness related blindness

Reply to xchrom (Original post)

Sun Mar 11, 2012, 11:35 AM

Mar 2012

Such as optic neuritis blindness due to multiple sclerosis. It's shocking just how common this has become ...also blindness secondary to diabetes is another.