Cells from the dead may help the blind to see: researchers

Researchers suggest that cells from the donated eyes of dead people might help the blind see.

Tests in rats showed that it was possible to restore some vision with human cells to completely blind rats.

According to the team at University College London, similar results in humans would improve quality of life, but not give enough vision to read.

The team extracted a special kind of cell from the back of the eye, called Muller glia cells - a type of adult stem cell – capable of transforming into specialised cells in the back of the eye and which could be useful in the treatment of a wide range of sight disorders.

In the lab, the cells transformed into rod cells that detected light in the retina and injecting the rods into the backs of the eyes of completely blind rats partially restored their vision.

Brain scans revealed that 50 per cent of the electrical signals between the eye and the brain recovered following the treatment.

The journal, Stem Cells Translational Medicine, has published the study.

According to the researchers, human trials should begin within three years, the BBC reported.

According to Dr Paul Colville-Nash from the Medical Research Council, UK, the interesting study showed that Muller glial cells were another viable avenue of exploration for cell therapy in retinal diseases.

According to researchers, the cells might be able to help patients with disorders such as macular degeneration or retinitis pigmentosa.