http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/health/article6122757.ece#cid=OTC-RSS&attr=2015164
British scientists have recently used the fruits of embryonic stem cell research to cure the most common form of blindness, age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Here are some important quotes out of the article:
I can update the thread with more info on the treatment if needed, I just felt like this framework was enough to promote a discussion. Either way, it is certainly a groundbreaking advancement in science and I thought I'd share it with everyone here, since chances are something like this will be avoided by right-wing American Media.
British scientists have recently used the fruits of embryonic stem cell research to cure the most common form of blindness, age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Here are some important quotes out of the article:
(capitalization is theirs, not mine)BRITISH scientists have developed the world’s first stem cell therapy to cure the most common cause of blindness. Surgeons predict it will become a routine, one-hour procedure that will be generally available in six or seven years’ time.
It affects more than 500,000 Britons and the number is forecast to increase significantly as people live longer. The disease involves the loss of eye cells.
Pfizer will be taking charge here, attempting to make this a common procedure for doctors.He welcomed Pfizer’s agreement to manufacture the membranes, saying: “This is a major development because of the size of the partner. We need a big pharmaceutical company to scale it up.
“We have nearly 14m people within Europe with AMD. This will ensure that the therapy gets through to clinical trials in a safe and effective manner.”
The only bad part about this is that all of this research was made impossible by the Bush administration's banning of embryonic stem cell research. While American doctors were busy trying to elect a President that understands science enough to make reasonable judgments on the issue and also to find replacements for embryonic stem cells, doctors from other countries were making amazing breakthroughs like this. Just as stem cell proponents predicted, doctors from other countries made huge advances that could have been made in America. Despite the countless amount of embryos that are destroyed by fertility clinics, the Bush administration decided that scientific advances to benefit millions, if not billions of people were not as important as the lives of a few clumps of cells. Now, other countries are getting a leg up on our competition and we have nobody to blame but ourselves. I can only imagine how many lives are lost every day to diseases that could have been cured by stem cell research, all in the name of being "pro-life".Professor Peng Khaw, director of the Biomedical Research Centre at Moorfields and the UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, added: “This shows that stem cell therapy is coming of age. It offers great hope for many sufferers around the world who cannot be treated with conventional treatment.” He added: “All my patients say to me is, ‘When will this stem cell treatment be ready? I want it now’.”
I can update the thread with more info on the treatment if needed, I just felt like this framework was enough to promote a discussion. Either way, it is certainly a groundbreaking advancement in science and I thought I'd share it with everyone here, since chances are something like this will be avoided by right-wing American Media.