Source: Reuters
Posted: August 1, 2007 3:03AM EDT
Summary:
The ability of zebrafish to regenerate damaged retinas has given scientists a clue about restoring human vision and could lead to an experimental treatment for blindness within five years. British researchers reported they had successfully grown a type of adult stem cell found in the eyes of both fish and mammals that develops into neurons in the retina in the laboratory. In the future, these cells could be injected into the eye as a treatment for diseases such as macular degeneration, glaucoma and diabetes-related blindness, according to Astrid Limb of University College London's (UCL) Institute of Ophthalmology.
