By IANS
London : British scientists have developed a revolutionary technique that they claim could cure blindness in people suffering from age-related macular degeneration (AMD) – the most common cause of blindness in the elderly.
The technique by scientists and doctors from the University College London, Moorfields Eye Hospital and Sheffield University could transform lives, allowing the blind to regain the ability to carry out everyday tasks such as reading or driving.
The method centres on human embryonic stem cells grown in a laboratory that can turn themselves into different cell types and are used to create small patches identical to the damaged eye cells in AMD patients.
Packaged into a syringe, a patch is injected into the back of the eye where it replaces damaged cells and restores sight. For this, healthy cells are taken from the corner of the patient's own eye.
Preliminary results from the transplant technique show that patients will be able to read, cycle and use a computer after the surgery, the online edition of the Daily Mail reported.
However, such surgery is extremely complex and time-consuming and is unlikely to be suitable for large-scale use, the scientists said.
Scientists are now working on making "readymade" patches, which will be injected into the back of the eye under local anaesthesia in a procedure lasting not more than an hour.
It is hoped that the technique will also benefit those who have lost their sight as a complication of diabetes.