Originally published December 18 2005
Stem cell researchers hopeful about finding cure for deafness
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
Researchers from Sheffield University believe, after using embryonic stem cells in efforts to grow new cells in the inner ear, that a cure for deafness could be found within the next 15 years.
Researchers from Sheffield University are using embryonic stem cells in efforts to grow new cells in the inner ear.
Although still in its early stages, the team from Sheffield University hope it could lead to a cure for deafness in the next 10 to 15 years.
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Dr Rivolta said they were looking at stem cells harvested from two different sources - human embryonic stem cells and cells from the foetal cochlea.
"It is a very challenging approach but we are confident it is possible and the potential for these cells is there," Dr Rivolta said.
Stem cell research has proved controversial, with some campaigners condemning the creation of human embryos to harvest the stem cells, which have the potential to become any kind of tissue in the body.
"We are still doing tests in-vitro, in the lab.
"We hope to do the first tests in animals in the next two years.
"It could then be possible to do human trials in three to four years, but that would depend on the outcomes of the animal trials," he said.
Last month researchers said that stem cells taken from the back of the eye could eventually be used to restore normal vision in people with sight problems.
Scientists at the University of Toronto found that human retinal stem cells regenerated when they were transplanted into the eyes of mice and chicks.
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