British team targets stem cell cure for AMD

A team of British scientists say they can develop a stem cell therapy that will cure blindness caused by age-related macular degeneration within five years. They will use embryonic stem cells to repair damaged retinas. AMD is the leading cause of blindness in the developed world, with some 14 million suffering blindness in Europe as a result of the disease. The London Project to Cure AMD says it has obtained a £4 million donation to recruit leading researchers in the field. And scientists at University College London, Moorfields Eye Hospital in London, and the University of Sheffield say they will lead the project.

"Given AMD could affect up to one third of the population by 2070, and that the bulk of these will have dry AMD, the potential to create a treatment strategy for this condition is critical and may have a major impact on vision loss in the community," says Dr. Lyndon Da Cruz.

- read the article on the project from The Telegraph

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