Marlborough Company Looks to Regrow Cells in the Eye

Instead of treating symptoms of macular degeneration, a leading cause of blindness, a Marlborough company is looking to figure out how to regrow eye cells that cause it.

The Boston Business Journal reports that Ocata is starting patient trials within the next month and a half to repeat the results of a smaller trial that “attracted worldwide attention last year.”

In the trial, Ocata’s stem cells were used in eye cells of 18 patients with macular degeneration, and it helped improve vision in 10 of the patients.

According to the company’s website, Ocata Therapeutics, formerly named Advanced Cell Technology, is a clinical stage biotechnology company focused on the development and commercialization of new therapies in the field of regenerative medicine. Regenerative medicine is defined as the process of replacing or regenerating human cells, tissues or organs to restore or establish normal function and has been called the “next evolution of medical treatments” and “the vanguard of 21st century healthcare” by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

According to the National Library of Medicine, macular degeneration is the leading cause of vision loss in Americans 60 and older.