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Researchers at the USC Roski Eye Institute have launched a new clinical trial to investigate whether a stem cell-based retinal implant can restore vision in people with advanced dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The condition is the leading cause of vision loss in older adults and currently has very few treatment options once damage to the retina has occurred.
The experimental treatment uses laboratory-grown retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells, derived from embryonic stem cells, which are attached to an ultra-thin implant. During a minimally invasive procedure, the implant is placed into the retina, where the replacement cells are designed to take over the role of damaged RPE cells that are essential for maintaining healthy vision.
The Phase 2b trial follows encouraging results from an earlier study, in which the implant proved safe and integrated successfully into retinal tissue. Around 27% of participants also experienced some improvement in their vision, prompting researchers to investigate whether the therapy can deliver meaningful clinical benefits in a larger group of patients.
The study will enrol 24 people with advanced dry AMD across five US centres and monitor them for at least a year. While the treatment is still experimental, researchers hope it could eventually do more than slow the disease, offering the possibility of restoring vision for patients who currently have few therapeutic options.
