Posted on 05/02/2005 9:45:13 PM PDT by Founding Father
Stem cells used to restore vision
A hospital in West Sussex is pioneering the use of stem cells to restore the eyesight of patients. The trial, being carried out at the Queen Victoria Hospital, East Grinstead, has already helped 40 people see again.
The surgery at the hospital has been developed over the past five years.
Stem cells from the patient or a donor are used to redevelop the cornea, the transparent film at the front of the eye which lets in light.
Opthalmic surgeon Sheraz Daya said: "Many people who've had injuries to their eyes, or even people born with congenital deficiencies of stem cells, land up having a problem with the top layer of their cornea.
Eyesight restored
"Even if we do a corneal transplant, that will not stay clear, it'll cloud over and fail.
"So what we need to do is replace those stem cells that are missing."
Among the 40 people who have already had their eyesight restored is Deborah Catlyn.
She was blind in one eye from the age of seven and then became partially-sighted in the other eye after an acid attack in a nightclub.
The treatment at Queen Victoria Hospital meant Ms Catlyn could see her daughter properly for the first time.
"I thought, 'My God, is that really my baby, look at her she's beautiful'," she said.
Story from BBC NEWS: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/england/southern_counties/4495419.stm
Published: 2005/04/28 19:11:10 GMT
But wouldn't it a violation of a Democrat's civil rights to change the visual orientation he was born with?
Notice where the stem cells came from?
Notice they're "from the donor" and not a dead baby.
beat me to it by 30 seconds...
BTTT
As someone who lost their eyesight and was looking at cornea transplants only a year ago, this is very exciting news.
I posted this a few days ago.
It is amazing,isn't it?
Or even the patient.
Ya, but I misformatted the HTML and hadda play with it..I aint gud wit dat teknkal stuf.
So I beat ya by more than 30 sec :)
More good reasons to kill babies -- is not babies made for growing new eyes is adults?
Of course, I always thought that God had other uses for itty bitty babies...
Nazi Germany was also a very amazing place -- jet plane developed, the V2 rocket -- all sorts of wonderful achievements.
But I seem to forget -- what was the cost of these wonderful developments in Nazi Germany -- was it the loss of millions of lives?
I guess itty bitty babies can now be bottled as a wonder potion -- thanks to the Anti-Christ, excuse me, modern medicine...
These are ADULT stem cells. Are you against that, too?
Because babies are not the only source of stem cells, they are now able to be produced through synthesis and can be extracted from a donor. The type of cell is important the article is not a scientific paper, so it does not mention if the cell is multipotent, pluripotent or totopotent (in the latter case this would mean non-ethical sources but be advised there ARE synthesis techniques pioneered that do not rely on harvesting embryonic stem cells). Just because stem cells are mentioned in this article it is not a given that these are embryonic or non-ethical methodologies.
This has NOTHING to due with babies. These are ADULT stem cells which can be donated by the patient.
Read carefully, there are STEM cells and FETAL Stem cells.
agreed :-)
Stem cells from the patient or a donor...
Hillary's Lovely Legs wrote:
This has NOTHING to due with babies. These are ADULT stem cells which can be donated by the patient.
Read carefully, there are STEM cells and FETAL Stem cells.
Okay. At 3 AM I misread it. But they did not say who the donor was -- embryonic stem cell or fetal or someone who willing donates his stem cells.
I admit I am wrong, but article is not clear on what the term donor means. My belief was that this meant an abortion clinic could donate the aborted.
Adult and Ambilical Stem Cells have proven to be better for medicine. Both are morally acceptable. Embryonic Stell Cells have been known to generate tumors (rapid growth).
I apologize for being wrong, but one can still interpret the article to mean that an abortion clinic could be a donor (in my opinion).
Sorry. Maybe I should learn English at 3AM...
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