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Update: On the One Show sofa, 11 Feb 2010, our reporter Anita Rani mentioned that Newcastle University is interested in hearing from people with specific corneal damage that may respond to stem cell treatment. Newcastle University would like to inform One Show viewers that:
"This treatment is very specific and only works for people who are suffering from corneal scarring caused by stem cell damage, for example people with chemical burns. Unfortunately, developments in treatment for other eye problems are a little behind and will require more research before we get to the stage of human application.
"For any enquiries e-mail [email protected] leaving contact details and a brief description of your condition.
"We're afraid that due to the number of enquiries we receive we will only be able to respond to people who have this specific condition and could be eligible for this treatment."
More about Anita's film on stem cell therapyAnita Rani has been looking at stem cell research in the UK. There have been some remarkable breakthroughs. Watch the video below.
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In Newcastle-Upon-Tyne she met Russell Turnbull, whose partial blindness was cured by stem cell therapy. And she met heart attack survivor Peter Berry, he believes stem cell therapy has given him a new lease of life.
The stem cell research that is talked about in Anita's film uses mostly adult stem cells. Which are different from...
Embryonic stem cells
What has caused a lot of debate is the use of embryonic stem cells. These are cells derived from embryos that develop from eggs that have been fertilized in an IVF clinic, and then donated for research with the informed consent of the donors.
In 2006, US President George W Bush vetoed a controversial bill which would have lifted a ban on federal funding for new embryonic stem cell research. President Barack Obama lifted the funding restrictions in March 2009.
President Bush, and some religious groups, argued that all embryos, whether created in the lab or not, have the potential to go on to become a fully fledged human, and as such it is morally wrong to experiment on them.
Too good to be true? Safety concerns?
Some researchers fear that it is possible that stem cell therapy could unwittingly pass viruses and other disease causing agents to people who receive cell transplants.
Some research has also raised the possibility that stem cells may turn cancerous.
But scientists maintain that their use of stem cells will lead to many more medical breakthroughs. As Anita heard from the scientists at Newcastle University, the eyesight of seven people in Newcastle has already been saved by their research.
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Stem cell therapy - is it a step too far?
