Stem Cell Treatments for Optic Nerve Hypoplasia

A medical hoax or a miracle cure--opinions about stem cell treatments for optic nerve hypoplasia are controversial at best. While parents spend in excess of $20,000 and fly to China to have their blind children treated because the method does not have federal approval in the United States, many experts warn that there is no scientific evidence for stem cell treatment to provide any success.

Optic Nerve Hypoplasia - Definition

• Optic nerve hypoplasia develops in the womb when the optic nerves of one or both eyes fail to develop properly. Conventional medicine offers no treatment and no cure. It is a major cause of congenital blindness in children. The cause remains unknown.

Success Stories

• There are many success stories of patients who underwent stem cell treatment and had in return an improved vision. Often, the diagnosis of optic nerve hypoplasia in their newborns or infants leaves parents desperate. Many have tried experimental treatment in China. In the United States, this treatment is illegal.
  Success stories of those who benefited from the stem cell treatment are listed on websites like www.stemcellschina.com or are featured in numerous media reports.

Warnings

• Many doctors do not encourage stem cell treatment for optic nerve hypoplasia and warn parents that seeking treatment in China is nothing more than an expensive trip with no benefits attached.
  Two prominent opponents of stem cell treatment for ONH are Drs. Lawrence Tychsen and Gregg Lueder, professors of ophthalmology and visual sciences at Washington University School of Medicine and pediatric ophthalmologists at St. Louis Children's Hospital. They are especially concerned about the treatment with stem cells from an unrelated person who is likely not a match for the person seeking treatment. Instead, the doctors encourage young patients by telling them that they will learn to exploit the remaining optic fibers more effectively, which should lead to some improvement in their vision. Other critics warn of serious side-effects from these treatments--be it infection or surgical damage--and the outrageous costs.

Outlook

• Medical researchers are working toward finding alternate ways to treat blindness, including stem cell treatments. Before effective therapies can be offered to patients, additional scientific research and extensive testing is necessary before this procedure becomes widely available.

  As of 2009, stem cell therapies are only widely available for stem-cell carrying bone marrow transplants used to treat leukemia or other blood cell disorders.