December 20, 2010 
Treatment of blindness using stem cells; soon attempts of testing in humans… U.S. biotechnical company, has just announced that it has given permission to begin experiments with human stem cells to treat blindness.
With advanced technology of stem cells, they are trying to heal Stargardt’s macular dystrophy, a disease that affects 25 000 people in the U.S., and can leave the ‘victim’ totally blind. This is only the second time that the experimental treatment of human stem cells is approved.
Scientist from this company Dr. Bob Lanter, confirmed that they will begin with a human pilot study of this type, the BBC reported.
Concerning this disease, macula, also called the ‘yellow spot’ ,is located near the back of the eye, and this spot is just a few square millimeters large, but it enables the most important visual skills such as reading, color-difference … With macular degeneration, an obstacle is on the place of sharpest vision, and the result is that the central visual acuity of the eye is completely or partially lost, and the sight in the middle of the visual field becomes blurred, distorted, or just a dark stain.
Taken from: www.dnevnik.hr