Japan Stem-Cell Trial Stirs Envy

September 18, 2014

(Nature) – In this instance, the woman’s vision is unlikely to improve. However, researchers around the world are watching to see whether the cells stop the retina from deteriorating further and whether any side effects develop. Should the woman experience serious consequences, iPS-cell research could be set back years, much as gene therapy was in 1999 when a patient died in a trial that attempted to use a modified gene to correct a type of liver disease. “That wakes me up at night,” Loring admits. If Takahashi’s trial succeeds, however, it could send a powerful signal to other regulatory agencies such as the FDA and the European Medicines Agency.