Embryonic stem cells: the first confirmation of safety
The results of the first tests of embryonic stem cells have been published
After a decade of waiting, the first results of trials involving embryonic stem cells have finally been published in a medical publication. A report on the preliminary results can be found on the website of The Lancet (Embryonic stem cell trials for macular degeneration: a preliminary report).
Two residents of the USA suffering from eye disease took part in the experiment. One of the women was diagnosed with Stargardt's disease (macular degeneration), and the other had a similar macular degeneration, but it was caused by aging. The vision of both women was so weak that doctors recognized them as blind. The women were injected with retinal cells derived from stem cells, after which both participants in the experiment noted a slight improvement in their vision. The company Advanced Cell Technology (ACT) reports that today, 4 months after the end of the experiment, both women feel well. They do not have any pathological reactions or unusual symptoms.
This message has become a landmark, because scientists around the world have for many years pinned great hopes on stem cells that can form any tissue of the human body. The possibilities that open up to researchers and doctors are amazing. However, the authors of the study ask to refrain from premature euphoria about the results of the experiment. They emphasize that the study was originally intended to find out how safe the use of stem cells is, and not how effective it is. The authors do not exclude that the improvement of vision in women may be associated with the use of immunosuppressants or even with a placebo effect.
The first phase of the previous clinical trials for embryonic stem cell transplantation in the United States began on January 23, 2009. Stem cells were injected into patients with spinal cord injuries. This research was funded by the American corporation Geron. According to representatives of the corporation, the tests were successful, but the experiment was interrupted due to lack of funding. Recall that in 2001, US President George W. Bush limited federal funding for embryonic stem cell research for moral reasons. However, these restrictions were lifted in 2009 by the current President, Barack Obama. But the results of the first study were never published. Thus, the AST study is the first officially published stem cell trial.
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26.01.2012