Have scientists found a way to reverse sight loss? A jab of skin cells could hold the key

An injection of stem cells from a patient’s own skin could be the first treatment for a major cause of vision loss.

An estimated 250,000 people in the UK are living with severe visual problems due to dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and there is no treatment.

AMD occurs when the macula — the part of the retina at the back of the eye involved in sharp, central vision — becomes damaged.

Researchers believe that the injection of stem cells will replace cells lost to the disease and may even reverse vision loss. The treatment is now being studied in a trial involving 20 patients. People with the condition lose their central vision; for example, they can see the outline of a clock but cannot tell what time it is, and they may lose the ability to recognize people’s faces. It is usually diagnosed by a routine eye exam and the first signs are common in people in their 50s and 60s.

There are two types of AMD: dry and wet. Dryness is the most common form – the result of a buildup of a fatty substance called drusen in the back of the eyes, leading to the loss of light-processing cells.

An injection of stem cells from a patient’s own skin could be the first treatment for a major cause of vision loss. [File image]

The wet type, which accounts for 15 per cent of the UK’s total of 600,000 AMD cases, is caused by the growth of abnormal blood vessels under the retina that leak fluid and blood into them, damaging cells involved in vision and causing loss cause vision loss.

While there is a treatment for wet AMD – in the form of anti-VEGF drugs that stop its development and leakage from blood vessels – the only option for people affected as dry AMD progresses is to use vision aids including magnifying glasses.

But scientists now believe that stem cells — master cells from which all other cells are produced — from the skin or bone marrow may be the answer.

The one-time treatment, known as an intravitreal injection, involves removing stem cells, growing them into retinal cells in the lab, then placing them in a solution before injecting them into an area behind the retina at the back of the eye.

The injection takes less than half an hour and numbing drops are used, so the procedure is painless.

The theory is that once in place, the stem cells will grow new retinal cells to replace the ones that degenerate in people with dry AMD.

This isn’t the first time scientists have used stem cells to develop a treatment for dry AMD. The charity The Macular Society has warned of the dangers of unauthorized use of stem cell injections that are usually derived from body fat.

In 2017, the New England Journal of Medicine reported vision loss in three patients following intravitreal injections of stem cells from fat.

The hope is that using stem cells from the skin or bone marrow will reduce the risk of complications or rejection.

In the new trial at the Belarusian State Medical University, 20 patients with dry AMD will have their vision checked before and after treatment and monitored for a year.

Researchers believe that the injection of stem cells will replace cells lost to the disease and may even reverse vision loss. [File image]

Gwyn Williams, an ophthalmologist consultant at Singleton Hospital in Swansea, said: ‘Dry AMD is by far the largest cause of low vision certification in the UK; a situation that will only get worse with our aging population.

“This research is interesting, but we have to be careful because there have been several false omens with stem cells in the past.

“They have so far shown no discernible benefits, and also carry significant risks.”