I had an interesting conversation and correspondence with the patient liaison at the Schepens Eye Research Institute about optic nerve regeneration that I posted in my blog: http://zenwatch.blogspot.com/2009/12/piercing-th-darkness-developments-in.html An excerpt from the correspondence: Regenerative Research: As our knowledge of stem cells has expanded, so has the breadth of our research. A few short years ago, all the focus was on embryonic stem cells and research was limited by the ethical issues and related federal funding ban. Since then, we also have access to progenitor cells, adult stem cells that also have great potential without some of the limiting factors of embryonic stem cells mentioned above. Now, we have discovered that the human body has already existing, dormant stem cells in the central nervous system (CNS) which includes the spinal cord, brain, optic nerve and retina. With both embryonic stem cells and adult stem cells, additional research needs to be done to both develop consistent sources of stem cells and develop a surgical or other stem cell delivery technique. This new approach of activating already existing, dormant stem cells may eliminate the need for these added steps. In addition to knowing that these cells exist, we also now know the molecules that are responsible for that dormancy and we have identified the drug that can activate them. This drug then is likely to become the foundation of a new drug that will both activate and coax these cells to become the kind of cells needed in our goal to restore vision. In optic nerve regeneration, we know that there are three barriers against regeneration we need to overcome in order to develop a therapy. We already know that the original drug will overcome the first barrier (dormancy) and the second barrier (scar), but the third barrier still must be overcome. This barrier comes from the proteins of the myelin (sheath covering the optic nerve) that send signals preventing regrowth. So the goal is, using the original drug as a foundation, build a new drug to overcome all the barriers safely and reliably. At the Schepens Eye Research Institute, an affiliate of Harvard Medical School located in Boston, our regenerative center, The Ocular Regeneration Research Center, is made up of 3 separate laboratory teams exploring the great potential of stem cell and gene therapy technologies. The goal of all the labs is the repair/regeneration of the retina and optic nerve. Both are made up of nerve cells, which share the same barriers to regeneration that we are working to overcome. The real strength of Schepens' regenerative research is these 3 labs, 3 research teams, with varied approaches, working collaboratively, are making the idea of vision a reality in coming years. It is a very powerful combination. Some of the group's individual accomplishments include: * Dr.Feng Chen's first ever regeneration of the optic nerve in mice * Dr. Michael Young's years of transplanting brain and retinal stems cells into mice and pigs in preparation for the next step, human retinal damage repair/regeneration * Dr. Kameran Lashkari's novel, new discovery of adult progenitor cells from the retinas of premature babies that seem to migrate to damaged optic nerve and retina * Dr. Chen's discovery of the mechanism to reawaken already existing, dormant stem cells in the retina, optic nerve and brain * Dr. Young's discovery of the molecule in stem cells that is the key to integrating transplanted nerve cells into damaged tissue.

My 20 yrs old son is suffering from day blindness prblm(cant face sun) reason being deficiency of cones.Pls send me the latest research on its treatment & guide/advise me where to contact,i am willing to go anywhere in the world.