Stem Cells Regenerate Human Lens After Cataract Surgery, Restoring Vision

[nsxwolf]

I wonder - since the lens is new, would it behave like a young persons lens? Is it a cure for presbyopia?

[maxerickson]

It seems likely. An already much used option for adult cataracts is a multifocal replacement lens:

http://www.allaboutvision.com/conditions/multifocal-iols.htm

[larrik]

This treatment is actually only for infants.

[kragen]

Pros: no worries about materials biocompatibility or lifetime. Restoration of accommodative ability. Less surgical complications and faster healing.

Cons of trying to extend this approach to adults using exogenous stem cells: significantly increased risk of cancer.

[carbocation]

> Cons of trying to extend this approach to adults using exogenous stem cells: significantly increased risk of cancer.

What makes you think this?

[melling]

This was the third post of the story within 24 hours. One story almost past the tipping point. HN readers in Europe or Asia must have propelled this one. Wish we could do more analytics on stories posted here.

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11255649

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11255882

[JoeAltmaier]

Exciting! I wonder, how many body parts will become replaceable? Bones? Skin? Kidney?

[kragen]

We've been growing skin (from somatic skin cells) in dishes for years. Organovo's 3-D printed kidneys (made from somatic kidney cells) are from last April, although there had been earlier attempts, and 3-D printed kidneys have been implanted into living patients now. 3-D printed bones are from 2010, because it's adequate to print a mineral "skeleton" that living cells then colonize after implantation.

[Gibbon1]

I'll go down as saying the best candidates are perhaps teeth and kidneys.

[nness]

As someone who had just experienced the first of what will be a few (but might be many) corneal transplants, this stirs a little excitement.

[blisterpeanuts]

Fuch's Dystrophy?

[listic]

How long until this treatment is available to buy (for whatever reasonable price for new treatments such as this is)?

[blisterpeanuts]

Probably several years. They've only had a small scale human trial of 12 patients so far, and a larger scale human trial is likely to take some time to organize, then of course the post-trial monitoring for possible side effects will need to continue for some time, probably 24-36 months.

Everyone hopes of course that these patients will enjoy permanently repaired vision, but there's no way to know for a long time. Also, stem cells have an unfortunate tendency to turn into cancer. The field is really still in its infancy, but the potential is enormous.

[EC1]

When they figure out how to mark it up 20,000%.

[fuckthepolice]

How big are those results actually ?? Looks big to me !