Washington Post reports on new
embryonic stem cell research from
Advanced Cell Technology: scientists "started by developing a reliable method for turning embryonic stem cells into
retinal pigment epithelium cells, which nourish the
light-sensitive 'photoreceptor' cells in the eye. In
macular degeneration, the pigment cells gradually disappear. The researchers achieved the transformation in all 18
stem cell lines they worked with ... treated rats had twice the visual acuity of the untreated rats nearly three months after treatment." Like much of ACT's present work, this is an early stage technology demonstration. It shows an increasingly sophisticated level of
control over stem cell differentiation and examples of newly developed tools, processes and infrastructure needed to get the job done.
View the Article Under Discussion:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/20/AR2006092001674.html
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