WORCESTER, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Advanced Cell Technology, Inc. (OTC:ACTC) and its collaborators at OHSU reported today the long-term safety and efficacy of human embryonic stem cell (hESC)-derived retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) produced under manufacturing conditions suitable for human clinical trials. Two important early potential hESC applications are the use of RPE for the treatment of age-related macular degeneration and Stargardt disease, an untreatable form of eye disease that leads to early-onset blindness. The research, which appears online ahead of print in the journal Stem Cells, shows long-term functional rescue using hESC-derived cells in both the RCS rat and Elov14 mouse, animal models of retinal degeneration and Stargardt, respectively. The cells survived transplantation for prolonged periods (>220 days) and sustained visual function without tumor formation or untoward pathological reactions. Near-normal functional rescue was also achieved in the ‘Stargardt’ mouse. To further address safety concerns, a study was carried out in the NIH III immune deficient mouse model. Long-term data (spanning the life of the animals) revealed no evidence of tumor formation after transplantation.
