News today that the Massachusetts-based company Advanced Cell Technology has begun a clinical trial in London that uses embryonic stem cells to treat Stargardt’s disease, a form of juvenile blindness that afflicts upwards of 100,000 people a year. Previous experiments with rats have resulted in almost complete restoration of sight. This is the first European clinical trial using human embryonic stem cells on human patients. In the United States, there is currently one clinical trial underway using human embryonic stem cells, an experimental treatment for spinal cord injuries. More details can found in this article by Kerry Sheridan from the global news organization AFP:
http://tinyurl.com/3he44wh