Age-related blindness is one of the most common forms of blindness across the globe and with the aim of finding a treatment for this, a clinical trial investigating stem cells’ potential is underway in the UK.
The new trail, which is a part of the London Project to Cure Blindness, has been dubbed as a major milestone in a project that began 10 years ago. The clinical trial commenced with the successful operation of a patient suffering from AMD.
Researchers are going to investigate and gauge the safety and efficacy of transplanting eye cells (retinal pigment epithelium) derived from stem cells to treat people with sudden severe visual loss from wet AMD. The treatment involves replacement of retinal pigment epithelium at the back of the eye that are damaged in AMD. To replace these cells, a specially engineered patch is surgically inserted behind the retina.
Surgeons at the hospital performed the first surgery successfully on a patient last month and according to followup reports there have been no complications till date. The project has not named the patient as she wanted to remain anonymous, but the team hope to determine her outcome in terms of initial visual recovery by early December this year.
“There is real potential that people with wet age-related macular degeneration will benefit in the future from transplantation of these cells,” says retinal surgeon Professor Lyndon Da Cruz from Moorfields Eye Hospital, who is performing the operations and is co-leading the London Project.
With the success of the first surgery, researchers are looking to recruit 10 patients in total over a period of 18 months with each patient to be followed-up for a year to assess the safety and stability of the cells and whether there is an effect in restoring vision.
Professor Pete Coffey of the UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, who is also co-leading the London Project, said: “We are tremendously pleased to have reached this stage in the research for a new therapeutic approach. Although we recognise this clinical trial focuses on a small group of AMD patients who have experienced sudden severe visual loss, we hope that many patients may benefit in the future.”
Professor Sir Peng Tee Khaw, Director of the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Biomedical Research Centre based at Moorfields Eye Hospital and the UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, added: “We are delighted to be the site for this very exciting new clinical trial in stem cell therapy, which has the potential to give hope and make such a difference to the lives of people with blinding retinal conditions,”.
Professor Philip J Luthert, Director of the UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, said: “The trial has shown the power of collaboration between the University, Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and Pfizer in establishing a new treatment paradigm for AMD. The London Project has been funded by large philanthropic donations, government funding agencies, charities, the NIHR and many private donors over the past few years, and Pfizer’s commitment has been vital in moving this project forward.”
Dr Berkeley Phillips, UK Medical Director, Pfizer Ltd concluded: “At Pfizer we believe that great science comes through collaboration; no one person has all the answers and together, we can achieve more and move faster. Stem cell-derived therapy was only a theory until recent years, and to be part of a project that is applying the latest scientific breakthroughs to help restore patients’ eyesight is truly rewarding”
The London Project to Cure Blindness, which aims to find a cure for vision loss in patients with wet AMD, is a result of the collaboration and partnership between the hospital, the UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, and the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). Pfizer Inc. lend its support to the project as a partner who would help turn the idea into a potential therapy.
In 2007 Professor Coffey approached the Macular
Society for urgent funding for the London Project to Cure Blindness. Although
the project has taken longer than the five years originally forecast, we are
delighted that the first patient has been treated and that the £100,000 raised
by the Society has contributed to this important development. This is a
major step in the progress towards a cure for a distressing condition.
We are extremely proud to have supported this
exciting project with the support of our donors; however, it is not yet known
if this will meet the needs of the thousands of people affected by wet
age-related macular degeneration. The Society is urgently campaigning
for more funding for macular research because our ageing society means many
more people are developing the condition.