IoO and Moorfields exhibit âmedical marvelsâ at Science Museum Lates
2 August 2018
Clinician researchers from the IoO and Moorfields Eye Hospital took part in the Science Museumâs âMedicineâ themed Lates â celebrating medical achievements from the NHS over the past 70 years.
âSeeing with your skin â how to grow a retinaâ showcased the technology behind the landmark study, published in March 2018, of the London Project to Cure Blindness. Ìę
The exhibition, held earlier this month,Ìęused animation to explain how stem cell technology is used to grow retinas in a dish so scientists can help to restore vision in patients with sight loss disorders.
DrÌęMariya Moosajee, Consultant Ophthalmologist at Moorfields, said that itâs important researchers are given a forum to share medical breakthroughs with aÌępublic audience to raise awareness of pioneering research.
âOur exhibition was designed to inform the public about how we are studying theÌęuse of stem cell technology to grow early eyes from a patientâs own skin to study their disease and develop new treatments,â explained Dr Moosajee.
Professor Pete Coffey, was also present at the event. At the time of the studyâs publication, he said that it represented real progress in regenerative medicine.
âIt opens the door on new treatment options for people with age-related macular degeneration. We hope this will lead to an affordable âoff-the-shelfâ therapy that could be made available to NHS patients within the next five years.â
The study is a major milestone for the London Project to Cure Blindness, a partnership between Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, the MyAV·¶ Institute of Ophthalmology, and the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR).