The sense of sight is one of the most key adaptation that humans have adapted to the environment throughout time. People who have lost there vision or were born blind have a great disadvantage in living in our world. People who have great vision and fall ill to limbal stem cell deficiency (LSCD) will suffer from a painful eye disease that could lead to complete blindness. Mostly young people are effected by LSCD which need much more moral support by friends and families for the impact on the patients life. Dr. Francisco Figueiredo at North East England Stem Cell Institute (NESCI) estimates that cloudiness has been causing blindness in 8 million people world wide (10% of total blindness) was due to a large percentage of partial or complete LSCD. The NESCI has been studying stem cell and how stem cells can cure blindness in LSCD patients. They have recently had their first successful treatments with 8 different patients suffering from LSCD. By using stem cells extracted from bone marrow from each individual patient was use to reconstructed the corneal and repair the retina which helps restore most of vision lost. If this method become more reliable and less costly then there might be a new treatment to tackle blindness.
Many people dealing with vision problems can benefit from this new method of stem cell studies. Without our sight we cant see object, vibrant colors or possible be limited to daily activities such as driving. Using stem cells from one's own body to restore their sight is one of the biggest breakthroughs in stem cell research. No lives are lost in the process which makes these new treatment humane. The further the study goes with stem cells being used to fix vision will eventually lead to common eye correction treatment for people wearing glasses.
Link: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/12/091210125930.htm
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