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Cure blindness in under a month with your own stem cells and a pair of contact lenses. It might sound like it’s out of a sci-fi movie but researchers in Australia are making it happen.
University of New South Wales researchers developed the procedure to cure blindness caused by corneal damage.

We’re looking at perspectives on this story from PopSci.com, twitter, Daily Mail, Australia’s ABC, COED magazine and the Australian.

PopSci.com comments on what it calls the “outwardly simply but incredibly ingenious” method.

“Take everyday contact lenses, already used by millions (including me), and infuse them with a patient's own stem cells. After wearing them for about 2 weeks, test subjects reported a seemingly miraculous restoration of sight. Is it that easy?”

The story quickly gained momentum on Twitter Thursday with hundreds tweeting comments like,

@katiefrey “Science is awesome”
@azaaza “We do live in the future”
@chadbonin “Sign me up”
@cambonez Amazing that it works, is low-cost, and is very fast. The future!
@madtownmorse Point: adult stem cells. They have like a 73-0 lead over embryonic stem cells right now.

And for those who worry over the ethics of stem cells, The Daily Mail had this from an Australian professor…

“…this use of a patient's stem cells is no more ethically contentious than a skin transplant.” (Professor Loane Skene, of the University of Melbourne)

Three legally blind Australians have played guinea pig so far. ABC News highlights their progress.

“We’re quietly excited.”
“We've gone from patients that are legally blind, meaning that they probably can only count their own fingers at a certain distance in front of their eyes. Going from that to being able to read letters on a standard visual chart."

Internet journal MedGadget.com which tracks medical technologies has this image of the three Australian’s eyes from left to right of before, during and after their stem cell therapy.

Surprisingly Coed Magazine also had thoughts on the breakthrough,

“Normally we don’t report on things like medical advances here at COED, but this was just a bit too SciFi awesome for me to pass up. …[R]egardless of where you stand politically on the stem cell issue, there’s no denying how incredibly, amazingly awesome this is. Plus, the stem cells come straight from the patient’s own eye, so no dead future babies. High five! So, now that we have that figured out, how about getting on to hoverboards?”

The Australian highlights who could benefit the most.

“…the group has applied for funds to continue the project, which [Dr Di Girolamo] thinks will be welcomed particularly in poor nations: “It's simple and easy for the patient and you don't need fancy equipment; just an opthalmic surgeon and a lab for cell culture”.”