Stem cell injection may soon reverse vision loss caused by age-related macular degeneration

An injection of stem cells into the eye may soon slow or reverse the effects of early-stage age-related macular degeneration, according to new research from scientists at Cedars-Sinai Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute, published in the journal Stem Cells.

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Currently, there is no treatment that slows the progression of the disease, which is the leading cause of vision loss in people over 65. This is the first study to show preservation of vision after a single injection of adult-derived human cells into a rat model with age-related macular degeneration, according to the authors of the study. The stem cell injection resulted in 130 days of preserved vision in laboratory rats, which roughly equates to 16 years in humans.



To read more about age-related macular degeneration, click here and here. 

Cedars-Sinai researchers in the Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell Core, with support from the David and Janet Polak Foundation Stem Cell Core Laboratory, first converted adult human skin cells into powerful induced pluripotent stem cells, which can be expanded indefinitely and then made into any cell of the human body. In this study, these induced pluripotent stem cells were then directed toward a neural progenitor cell fate, known as induced neural progenitor stem cells. These induced neural progenitor stem cells are a novel source of adult-derived cells which should have powerful effects on slowing down vision loss associated with macular degeneration.

Next steps include testing the efficacy and safety of the stem cell injection in preclinical animal studies to provide information for applying for an investigational new drug. From there, clinical trials will be designed to test potential benefit in patients with later-stage age-related macular degeneration.

This work was supported by the Simon and Beathrice Apple Stem Cell Fund for Eye Research, the David and Janet Polak Foundation Stem Cell Core Laboratory; National Institutes of Health (R01 EY020488), Department of Defense (W81XWH-12-1-0617), Foundation Fighting Blindness and the Knights Templar Eye Foundation Inc.

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