They put major
expectations on
this procedure
for the future and
say that it will be
available as an
actual treatment
for AMD associated
blindness within
five years.
These aren’t just expectations or
imaginations but it is based on
research and experiments.
rapid deterioration of vision. On
the other hand, the dry type is
characterized by degeneration
of the light sensitive cells of the
retina.
Photographer: Stephan Vanfleteren
The Dawn of
Vision
A recent clinical trial provides hope for AMD patients.
Sara Ahmed Rashad
L
osing vision is like losing hope and
is almost the same as losing life, but
science, as always, cannot stand there
watching .
Age related macular degeneration
“AMD” is considered the most common
leading cause for blindness in developed
countries. Despite that the disease showed
progressive numbers, it has no exact cause.
However, its risk increases with various
factors such as age, obesity, smoking,
family history and high blood pressure.
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Furthermore, it results from degeneration
of the central area of the retina called the
macula, responsible for central vision and
the best visual acuity.
The disease is rapidly progressive and not
painful, leading to vision loss in one or
both eyes. To be added, AMD has 2 types,
a wet and a dry type. The wet type is more
serious, occurring only in 15 % of cases
due to abnormal blood vessels growing
underneath the retina leaking fluid and
blood damaging the macula and causing
The Recap Magazine
For years, there have been many
trials to treat this disease or
even depress its progression
with many side effects, but
recently a newly published study
showed very good results with
improvements in vision and
acceptable visual acuity in 10
patients out of 18, after the
application of the new technique;
Stem Cell Transplantation. This
technique is widely used in
the treatment of many medical
disorders requiring tissue repair,
thanks to the stem cell’s ability to
differentiate into different types
of cells, however, its use has
been diminished due to fear of
rejection by the immune system
of the patient or the risk of tumor
growth.
July 2018 Issue
Fortunately, the eye doesn’t
develop a strong immune
response due to special
structures that maintain a state
of immunological tolerance or
immune privilege, which down-
regulates immune responses, so
its use in such case is a suitable
choice.
Along with the administration
of immunosuppressive drugs,
thousands of stem cells are
transplanted in the space
beneath the retina of the
patient, where it is engineered
by scientists, to develop into
retinal pigment epithelial cells
responsible for support and
nourishment of the retinal cells
helping its regeneration and
functioning.
Scientists added that this
procedure is almost safe and the
only side effect was the surgical
problems.
Working on the London project
to cure blindness, two patients;
a man in his 80s and a woman
in her 60s, both suffered
from severe cases which were
progressive, and hope for
recovery was poor, were treated
and the results have been
remarkable. The man, who
suffered from wet type AMD and
very poor vision to the extent of
not being able to see a book,
recovered and was able to see
six lines on a c-chart, while the
woman could see only five lines.
Restoring light back in those
patients’ lives was a blessing for
them. This success encouraged
scientists to put the first step to
more trials to ensure the safety
of this technique, hoping to soon
be as common and affordable as
cataract surgery.
I hope soon enough we can say
that blindness was a thing of the
past.
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