Stem Cell Therapy may Reduce Vision Loss in Patients with Stargardt Disease

Boston (DbTechNo) - Researchers from the United States have submitted a request to the government to begin performing embryonic stem cell trials on humans.

The researchers want to perform a small study on 12 patients diagnosed with a rare condition called Stargardt, which results in vision loss.

The condition currently has no cure, but stem cell therapy is being touted as a possible option.

In studies using mice bred to have the condition, those who underwent stem cell therapy suffered no further vision loss, a positive sign that the technique worked.

With embryonic stem cell therapy, each patient would receive an injection of retinal cells derived from embryonic stem cells.

If the FDA approves the clinical trials, the researchers state that they could begin as early as spring of 2010.