This trial builds on earlier safety studies where a hair-thin patch delivered retinal-supporting cells without causing serious harm and produced measurable gains for some participants. The new study will probe whether those early signs hold up across more people and over longer periods. For patients, lasting improvement would mean regained independence and a return of visual tasks that are central to personal and professional life.
Follow the trial to watch how science moves from careful lab work into clinical reality and how researchers balance innovation with patient safety. The outcome will speak to broader questions about restoring function after chronic disease and about who benefits from cutting-edge therapies as they become available. Click through to learn how this approach might expand possibilities for vision, aging, and inclusive access to medical advances.
Scientists at USC are launching a new trial to test a tiny stem cell implant that could restore vision in people with advanced dry macular degeneration. The hair-thin patch replaces damaged retinal cells responsible for sharp, central vision. Earlier studies showed the implant was safe and helped some patients see better. Researchers now hope it can deliver meaningful, lasting improvements in eyesight.
