Stem Cells, Blindness, and Why the Media Loves Miracle Cures
Stem Cells, Blindness, and Why the Media Loves Miracle Cures – Scientists researching the safety of stem cells have found the cells can help improve sight in patients with vision impairments.
They set out to test the safety of stem- cell treatments but along the way, a group of Massachusetts scientists actually improved the vision of their test patients. Researches at Advanced Cell Technologies (ACT) looked at treatments for two disorders which involved replacing the damaged cells behind the retina with new cells derived from stem cells.
The study, published in the medical journal, the Lancet, found that 13 of 18 patients saw recovery, thanks to the cells, and vision-related quality of life improved by up to 25 points in some patients. Researchers were mainly looking to address concerns that stem-cell derived cells would be rejected by the body’s immune system, or possibly form tumors or the wrong type of cell. None of those things happened, and the biggest takeaway in terms of coverage, is the treatment is already being hailed as a potential cure for blindness among other speculation.
But Dr. Steven Shwartz, the lead scientist of the study told NPR, they wanted to avoid that kind of hype because the treatment is still in such early stages and the sample size is small.
He said, “I don’t want patients to come in to their doctor saying, ‘Hey, I heard about the stem cells on the radio and I’d really like to get that treatment done, and what do you think? …It’s not ready.”
As the New York Times points out Dr. Schwartz and his colleague on the study, Dr Robert Lanza have reason to be cautious. “They were criticized by their colleagues for their premature optimism when they published an earlier paper on this study in early 2012, after only two patients had been treated and followed for only a few months.”
Still, despite their hesitation, some of the early coverage has looked like this— with banners saying—Stem cells to help blind see again”. Despite the fact that the treatment is nowhere near ready for the general public, human embryonic stem-cell research has gotten the push-back in the past from conservative groups like the Family Research Council who say that because the research often involved destroying human embryos, it’s akin to destroying human lives.
For its part, the study which the Massachusetts Institute of Technology says is the longest and largest test of this kind of treatment on humans, won’t address those concerns, but it will help settle controversy about stem-cell treatment safety.
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