Medical Treatments of Dry Macular Degeneration being studied

StemCells, Inc. has received FDA approval to conduct clinical trials of its new treatment for dry age-related macular degeneration. The treatment involves injections of purified central nervous system cells into the patient's retina. The phase I/II clinical trials will determine the safety and efficacy of the treatment. The trial will involve 16 patients who will receive a standard ophthalmological exam during the first year of the study and then an observational study will be conducted over the next four years to continue to evaluate the patients. The FDA approval comes after initial testing using rats delivered positive results. The rats demonstrated long-lasting improvement in their vision without any evidence of uncontrolled, tumor-like cell growth which often occurs with stem cell therapy.*