Researchers at the University of Florida claim to be the first to use targeted gene manipulation to take adult stem cells and change them into another kind of cell completely. They changed the stem cells, from bone marrow in this instance, into retinal cells. These retinal cells, when injected into blind mice, helped cure their blindness...
The final transformation was only completed once the manipulated cells were injected back into the mouse. Once they were in the bloodstream, the body recognized the cells as those belonging in the eye, where they eventually settled. These cells replaced damaged cells on the outer layer of the retina. This is the layer that is normally damaged in diseases like macular degeneration and diabetes-related blindness. After 28 days of receiving the modified stem cells, formerly blind mice reacted to light tests the same as normal mice.
This could help so many people. And it's kind of mind-boggling that they can change adult stem cells so radically.
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