Cells from eyes of dead 'may give sight to blind'

Tests in rats, reported in Stem Cells Translational Medicine, showed the human cells could restore some vision to completely blind rats.

The team at University College London said similar results in humans would improve quality of life, but would not give enough vision to read. Human trials should begin within three years. Donated corneas are already used to improve some people's sight, but the team at the Institute for Ophthalmology, at UCL, extracted a special kind of cell from the back of the eye. These Muller glia cells are a type of adult stem cell capable of transforming into the specialised cells in the back of the eye and may be useful for treating a wide range of sight disorders. Continue reading the main story “Start Quote This interesting study shows that Muller glial cells are another viable avenue of exploration for cell therapy in retinal diseases” Dr Paul Colville-Nash Medical Research Council In the laboratory, these cells were chemically charmed into becoming rod cells which detect light in the retina.

Comments

Kaffu Bullom Chiefdom elects Paramount Chief

Having been elected Paramount Chief of Kaffu Bullom Chiefdom, Porto Loko District, on the 21st January 2010, Paramount Chief Shebora Sheba Gbereh has formally been inaugurated as Paramount Chief of Kaffu Bullom Chiefdom after going through the traditional “Kantha” ceremony. Hundreds of dignitaries, government officials, Paramount chiefs and local people witnessed the coronation ceremony which officially took place under a big traditional cotton tree at Yongoro Town in Kaffu Bullom Chiefdom. Giving the key note address in another ceremony organized after the official Coronation Ceremony Paramount chief Bai Shebora Sheba Gbereh lll thanked God Almighty, his ancestors and his people for his position.

89 Year-Old Dies in Inferno

89 year old woman Janet Abiodu Williams is reported to have died in a blaze on Tuesday while her 22 Williams Street Kissy residence in Freetown was engulfed in fire. According to Bankie Lardge, son of the deceased, the actual cause of the fire is unknown, but it was believed to have started around 8:00-8:30 am that day, when he was feeding his pigs in the pen. “I heard my daughter shouting, fire! Fire!” he said, adding the blaze was first noticed at the top floor of the wooden house where the late Mrs. Williams’ apartment was. “Before I could rush up stairs to rescue my mother, the fire had already taken over the entire apartment, and it was too late for me to rescue my mother,” he lamented. The board house was completely engulfed in flames with properties worth millions of Leones lost. Eyes witnesses said although Fire Force officers later arrived on the scene, the timely intervention of the community people prevented the blaze from extending to nearby houses. Fire accidents are re...

E-cigarettes will be regulated as medicines in Britain

Electronic cigarettes heat liquid nicotine contained in a disposable… (Tim Ireland / Associated…) Electronic cigarettes along with products containing nicotine will be classified and licensed as medication in Britainby 2016. The battery-powered cigarettes, known as e-cigarettes, deliver an experience similar to standard cigarettes by heating liquid nicotine in a disposable cartridge and producing a vapor that can be inhaled. Culled from http://articles.latimes.com/2013/jun/12/business/la-fi-mo-electronic-cigarette-medicine-20130612

Rowaka Cancer Group - Sierra Leone

Search This Blog