Blindness Cured

Posted on 04/19/2009 at 9:15 am by Bob Cesca

Macular degeneration, the most common cause of blindness, has been cured by British scientists (working from within their inferior commie national healthcare system). And the cure involves embryonic stem cells — a decidedly much better use of the cells than chucking them in the garbage.

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.

The treatment involves replacing a layer of degenerated cells with new ones created from embryonic stem cells. It was pioneered by scientists and surgeons from the Institute of Ophthalmology at University College London and Moorfields eye hospital.

In or around 2015, when the treatment will be available, I wonder how many social conservatives will choose to, you know, see things again.

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  • http://www.broadwaycarl.blogspot.com Broadway Carl

    That is amazing news. And for all you God freaks, if this was against the Lord’s wishes, maybe He would never have allowed us to get to this point. Or He would never have given us the knowledge to cure diseases using this method.I know that sounds harsh, but I woke up in a cynical mood this morning.

  • gypsy

    >>>I wonder how many social conservatives will choose to, you know, see things again.you state that as if the majority didn’t just protest getting a tax CUT for themselves!it’s big time, don’t pass go, straight to hell, using embryonic stem cells sinning until they or someone they love needs it. then, well, that’s a different story. and holy mango salsa, wait until a poor person or immigrant gets the procedure through a publicly funded program.

  • dontpanic23

    But the commies killed the cellular babies (who were going to be thrown away anyway)! No excuse for curing live adults with blindness–unwanted split cells were murdered! Time for the wingnuts to shoot the docs and nuke the commie universal health care countries. I’m sure Beck, Hannity and ilk are all over it. Brits drink tea. Bet their poisoning the tea.

  • dontpanic23

    *they’re*, dammit.

  • D. C.

    Most likely, they’ll still be insisting that there have be no cures developed using embryonic stem cells.

  • Tusz

    Oh, god, gypsy, I can see it now. Poor people’s blindness cured. There’s two ways they can go with it: fall back on the “Obama thinks he’s Jesus” line (assuming he’s still in office in 2015; too early to say), or yell about them “forcing” evil procedures on the poor. Socialized Satanism (SS). Expect much numerology attempting to link the surgery with the Mark of the Beast.

  • steve b

    Ahhhhh!J Mart on (un)Reliable SourcesFork in the eye please(and cotton batten for me ears)Then gimme that procedure. Oh wait, I just found the remote…. nevermind.

  • Theghostsong

    This is great. Hopefully MS will beat the rest of the US to the punch like we usually do.Another fun fact about MS healthcare: We used to give the Russians tons of free medical equipment, like, during the Cold War. To this day I have no idea why.

  • http://tarackian.deviantart.com J M Ashby

    My ex-girlfriend from years back was so religious, she believed that her life started even before conception. (dont ask me how)So with that in mind, I guess using embryonic stem cells is murder to her.Me on the other hand… I’d like to be placed on a waiting list already because im pretty sure I wont be able to see worth a damn when Im old.And how did I ever end up with that girl? I ask myself the same question all the time. I may as well be the antichrist compared to her.

  • HlthCareWrker

    “Blindness cured”I am very hopeful about this information, but if you would please read the story carefully, you will find that this “therapy” has not even gone through clinical trials yet, and is in fact two years away from starting the trials. The clinical trials will validate whether or not this works, and what the potential side effects may be.Again this is hopeful news, but certainly not definitive in any way shape or form. For instance, bear in mind the statement from Dr.OZ, one of the most respected Dr’s in America “The problem with embryonic stem cells is that embryonic stem cells come from embryos, like all of us were made from embryos. And those cells can become any cell in the body. But it’s very hard to control them, and so they can become cancer.”I hope that Dr. Oz is incorrect in this particular case, but we will have to wait and see in this particular instance what the actual results will be in the clinical trials, then we will know.The point is that it is way too early to use this as any kind of “evidence” for embryonic stem cells in this particular instance. They simply don’t know yet, and won’t know until the trials are completed, which will be many years from now.

  • http://www.osborneink.com Matt Osborne

    Considering the epidemic of macular degeneration in our aging population, I’d say this is about as big as Salk’s vaccine.

  • CycloCynic

    Stem cell transplants also show promise in treating multiple sclerosis.On the infinite scale of Bush bad karma, I put his 8-year blockage of stem-cell research right up there with his horrible treatment of our veterans. Both translate directly into unnecessary physical suffering (my personal definiton of cruelty).

  • http://tarackian.deviantart.com J M Ashby

    Its all about keeping people down.

  • vyccan

    @HCW – “The problem with embryonic stem cells is that embryonic stem cells come from embryos, like all of us were made from embryos. And those cells can become any cell in the body. But it’s very hard to control them, and so they can become cancer.”I heard this point from a radio doctor here in the north, but with something of a twist. Instead of saying it’s very hard to control them, he stated that the way to control them has not yet been discovered. His point seemed to have been that they are growth cells, and until science learns how to stop their growth once they have accomplished the purpose for which they are used, it would be premature and unwise to start using them. [In other words, continued research will play a key role, as opposed to shutting down the possibility completely as the previous government did?] He also implied/stated(?)that stem cells come from all of us, not just from embyros.

  • Skepticat

    “I wonder how many social conservatives will choose to, you know, see things again.”Well, damned few of them seem to see anything *now*.

  • http://willpen.wordpress.com/ willpen

    You ask how many social conservatives will be lining up for this procedure. Most probably the same maggots that would make abortion illegal, thus forcing women into back rooms again, while they pay for high priced doctors to do abortions for their daughters behind closed doors.Anyone who has ever been against stem cell research should be denied any medical treatment which would involve any significant strides made in this field.

  • HlthCareWrkr

    vyccan-The rest of Dr. Oz’s quote, which I had intentionally not put in before, goes on to say that “the stem cell debate is dead, and I’ll tell you why.”Dr. Oz goes on to explain about advances in the use of IPS (induced pluripotent stem) cells that involve the reprogramming of ordinary skin cells into stem cells that behave almost exactly like embryonic stem cells — only without many of the risks.”Research continues: time will tell what is the ultimate answer. Right now it seems that IPS cells are holding the most promise, but all stem cell research is ongoing.

  • elbrucce

    Wonderful news! Recipients of this therapy will be able to actually see the baby Jesus cry!