Article

2004-10-28 Home Front: Tech

A totally blind woman has regained her sight after a pioneering transplant of retinal cells into one of her eyes, scientists revealed yesterday. However the American operation has provoked controversy because the transplanted cells were taken from the eyes of aborted foetuses.
Dr. Josef Mengele would have approved
While Elisabeth Bryant's vision is not perfect, she can see well enough to read, check e-mails and play computer games. She assumed she would never see again after being blinded three years ago by an inherited progressive eye disorder that has afflicted four generations of her family. But according to New Scientist magazine, Mrs Bryant, 64, appears to have permanently regained her sight. Six other patients with either advanced retinitis pigmentosa or macular degeneration, have received similar transplants.

Dr Robert Aramant, who developed the technique at the University of Louisville in Kentucky, said: "We have shown the way. It is possible to reverse these incurable diseases." The surgeons removed a layer of retinal cells from an aborted foetus and implanted intact two millimetre square sheets into the diseased eye. Using intact sheets preserves the circuitry between the cells. Foetal cells are better tolerated than adult cells and mean patients do not have to take drugs to suppress their immune system. Although the operation shows promise, it is unlikely to become widespread. Foetal tissue is rarely donated for transplant. If further trials are to be successful, there will not be enough tissue to meet the demand.

Posted by Mark Espinola 2004-10-28 6:32:58 AM|| || Front Page|| [11132 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 Here is the area where there is the most controversy.

How do you deal with this to be sure a fetus is not aborted for transplant cells?

Do you get into why a fetus was aborted?

Personally, I feel that using cells from the aborted fetus where the cause of the abortion is anything dealing with a genuine mother's health issue, rape, incest, or DOA genetic defect (e.g. anencephaly) would not be immoral, but a child aborted just for inconvienece it would cause is immoral... But that is just my opinion...

I just don't know, but I am glad this woman can see now, and I am sure that if they perfect this procedure so that you going from blindness to 20-20 then we are in a whole new ballgame...

This is truly a dilemma...

But, if they can blood type and match tissue just as they do for other types of transplants this is truly miraculous...Anti rejection drugs are taken for all other transplants, though and why not this? Reserve this procedure for tough to match cases like; the baseball player Rod Carew's daughter who died from leukemia because her parents were of different races, and she couldn't find a marrow transplant donor to match...

Posted by BigEd 2004-10-28 11:46:30 AM|| 2004-10-28 11:46:30 AM|| Front Page Top

#2 Kerry isn't even elected and the sick are being healed.

Posted by Mrs. Davis 2004-10-28 11:58:57 AM|| 2004-10-28 11:58:57 AM|| Front Page Top

#3 3 point basket for Edwards!

Posted by borgboy 2004-10-28 12:32:22 PM|| 2004-10-28 12:32:22 PM|| Front Page Top

#4 And yes, "eyes" were one of Mengele's specialties, and yes he would have approved. A leap of logic to ergo its bad is nonsensical, however...

Posted by borgboy 2004-10-28 12:34:14 PM|| 2004-10-28 12:34:14 PM|| Front Page Top

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