Human cells have helped a monkey see.
Scientists in Japan have successfully used human stem cells to partially restore the vision of a monkey with a macular hole. This development in seen as a significant step forward in regenerative medicine.
In the study published in the journal Stem Cell Reports, researchers led by Michiko Mandai of the Kobe City Eye Hospital in Japan, transplanted retinal cells cultivated from human embryonic stem cells into the monkey’s damaged retina.
The animal was reportedly suffering from a macular hole, a rare disorder in the macula or the central part of the retina which contains nerve cells. The condition occurs when an opening forms in the macula as the vitreous humor -- the jelly-like fluid that fills the eye -- pulls away from the retina, causing a tear or a hole, Cleveland Clinic explained.
Current treatment options, including when doctors would transfer cells from other parts of the retina to the middle, have proven to have significant side effects like loss of peripheral vision, Futurism pointed out. About 10% of macular holes are also beyond treatment.
To complete the experiment, scientists had to grow a sheet of retinal cells from the human cells. These were then transplanted into the 1 millimeter-wide hole in the monkey's retina.
Six months post-surgery, the primate showed considerable improvement in central vision. Before the transplant, the monkey could only focus on 1.5% of 100 dots during an eye test. After months of recovery, it could focus on 11 to 26% of the dots.
This experiment underscores the transformative potential of stem cell-based therapies as treatment for different human disorders.
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