Mar 10, 2009 12:30 pm US/Central
Teen Returns From China With Ability To See
WELLINGTON, Colo. (CBS) ―
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Macie Morse provided this photo of her during her procedure in China.
CBS
A teenager from Wellington knows firsthand what stem cells can do.
Macie Morse was born with optic nerve hypoplasia, meaning her optic nerve didn't develop all the way. The only way to repair it was to grow more of the nerve using umbilical cord stem cells.
She and her mother traveled all the way to China for an experimental treatment, CBS station KCNC-TV reports.
For six weeks, Morse received injections of cord stem cells and acupuncture to stimulate the cells. Gradually, they took hold and began growing the optic nerve Morse was missing.
"I saw snow fall for the first time," she told KCNC-TV's Shaun Boyd.
"What has been the most beautiful thing?" Boyd asked Morse.
"I'd say many things -- but (probably) my mom's eyes."
"What was it like when she said 'You have green eyes?'" Boyd asked her mother Rochelle.
"My knees went weak," Rochelle said. "I felt like I had just fallen off a nine story building."
Morse now has her learner's permit for driving, something her mom never thought she would see.
"I'm experiencing a miracle," Rochelle said. "This is what it feels like."
The umbilical cord stem cells she had injected have already increased her vision to almost 20/20 and the cells continue to grow more of the nerve.
Morse and her mom are now campaigning to bring the therapy to the United States. On Monday, President Barack Obama signed an executive order to allow federal funding for studies of embryonic stem cells, which differ from the umbilical cord stem cells used in this procedure.
Obama's action reversed former President George W. Bush's policy on stem cell research by undoing a 2001 directive that banned federal funding for research into stem lines created after that date.
Embryonic stem cells are master cells that can morph into any cell of the body. Scientists hope to harness them so they can create replacement tissues to treat a variety of diseases - such as new insulin-producing cells for diabetics, cells that could help those with Parkinson's disease or maybe even Alzheimer's, or new nerve connections to restore movement after spinal injury.
(© 2010 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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