The first patient has received a potential new treatment for wet age-related macular degeneration.
The new treatment is derived from stem cells for people with "wet" age-related macular degeneration (AMD), and was made possible by the London Project to Cure Blindness, Moorfields Eye Hospital reported.
"We are delighted to be the site for this very exciting new clinical trial in stem cell therapy, which has the potential to give hope and make such a difference to the lives of people with blinding retinal conditions," said Professor Sir Peng Tee Khaw, Director of the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Biomedical Research Centre based at Moorfields Eye Hospital and the UCL Institute of Ophthalmology.
The trial is now investigating the safety and efficacy of transplanting human eye cells derived from stem cells to treat sudden vision loss caused by wet AMD. The cells are used to replace those at the back of the eyeball that are infected with the disease using a specially engineered patch.
The first successful surgery was performed last month on an anonymous patient, and there are yet to be any complications from the procedure. The researchers plan to have fully assessed the outcome of the patients by early December 2015.
"There is real potential that people with wet age-related macular degeneration will benefit in the future from transplantation of these cells," said retinal surgeon Professor Lyndon Da Cruz from Moorfields Eye Hospital, who is performing the operations and is co-leading the London Project.
The trial will include 10 patients and will last for a period of 18 months. Each patients will be followed for about a year to asses the "safety and stability" of the cell transplants as well as their ability to restore vision.
"We are tremendously pleased to have reached this stage in the research for a new therapeutic approach. Although we [recognize] this clinical trial focuses on a small group of AMD patients who have experienced sudden severe visual loss, we hope that many patients may benefit in the future."
