Longevity & AgingAdult Eye Stem Cells Restore Vision in Rats, Clearing the Path to Human Trials for Dry AMD
Dry age-related macular degeneration affects roughly 170 million people, and current drugs only slow it down without restoring sight. Researchers describe the preclinical package behind an FDA-allowed phase 1/2a trial of RPESC-RPE-4W, a cell therapy made from adult retinal pigment epithelium stem cells taken from donated eyes. Under GMP manufacturing, the cells passed release criteria for identity, purity and potency across donor lines. In Royal College of Surgeons rats, subretinal injection produced durable visual acuity rescue through day 180 and temporarily spared photoreceptors. In immunodeficient rats followed for nine months, there were no tumors or product-related adverse findings, and human cells stayed in the injected eye only. The work offers a roadmap for translating cell therapy to the clinic.
