Experimental stem cell treatment continues to maintain vision

A procedure reported here in March 2018 has been shown to continue being a safe and effective method for introducing stem cells into the retina. Eye researcher Professor Pete Coffey, who founded the London Project over a decade ago, has confirmed that two study patients have maintained improvements in their vision five years after surgery. [Read More]

Trials to begin for stem cell-based therapy to treat geographic atrophy

A National Eye Institute (NEI) study will test the safety of a stem cell treatment for the dry (atrophic) form of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The researchers will take a patient’s own blood cells, and in a lab, convert them into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) capable of becoming any type of cell in the [Read More]

Stem Cell Treatment for Dry AMD Fast-tracked by FDA

It was reported here in March 2017 that BioTime, Inc. is conducting a Phase I/IIa clinical trial for OpRegen® for treatment of dry AMD. OpRegen is a retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) stem cell transplant therapy currently in development for the treatment of dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD) with geographic atrophy (GA). RPE cells are essential [Read More]

FTC Stops Deceptive Claims About Stem Cell Therapy

California companies lacked scientific evidence that their “amniotic stem cell therapy” could treat or cure macular degeneration and other serious diseases. A California-based physician and the two companies he controls have settled charges of deceptively advertising that “amniotic stem cell therapy” can treat serious diseases, including Parkinson’s disease, autism, macular degeneration, cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, [Read More]

Second Trial Showing Efficacy for Stem Cell Treatment of Dry AMD

A second trial begun in 2018 is showing positive results with replacing defective cells leading to vision loss from dry (geographic) macular degeneration. Implanted cells derived from stem cells have been implanted into five patients by researchers from University of Southern California (USC) and the University of California, Santa Barbara. Results at one year have [Read More]