Stem cells injected into eyes: a new hope for blindness?
NCT ID NCT01736059
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This early-stage trial is testing whether it is safe to inject a person's own bone marrow stem cells into their eye to treat vision loss from conditions like macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy. Fifteen adults with severe vision loss will receive the injection and be monitored for side effects. The goal is to check safety and feasibility, not yet to see if it improves eyesight.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- CD34+ bone marrow stem cells
- What this could lead to
- If safe, this could pave the way for larger studies exploring stem cell injections as a treatment for certain types of vision loss.
- What could go wrong
- This is a very early, small safety trial with only 15 people. It is not designed to prove the treatment works, and there are risks like infection or vision loss from the injection itself.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
-
University of California Davis
Sacramento, California, 95817, United States
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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- Can a single eye injection restore sight in genetic blindness?
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- AI could predict which eye treatments work best for Diabetes-Related vision loss
- New eye drug aims to restore vision in Diabetes-Related swelling