Embryonic stem cell op aimed at curing blindness

A doctor in the UK has performed the world’s first embryonic stem cell operation aimed at curing blindness in people with an age-related disease.

The procedure involves taking a single stem cell from an embryo and growing it into a “patch” of cells that can be transplanted into the eye.

Experts hope to be able to reverse vision loss in people with age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The condition affects more than 600,000 people in the UK and is the leading cause of blindness in adults, according to the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB).