LOS ANGELES — Dozens of people who were blinded or otherwise suffered severe eye damage when they were splashed with caustic chemicals had their sight restored with transplants of their own stem cells — a stunning success for the burgeoning cell-therapy field, Italian researchers reported Wednesday.

The treatment worked completely in 82 of 107 eyes and partially in 14 others, with benefits lasting up to a decade so far. One man whose eyes were severely damaged more than 60 years ago now has near-normal vision.

(CBS/AP) A few months ago, Dr. Thomas Einhorn was treating a patient with a broken ankle that wouldn't heal, even with multiple surgeries. So he sought help from the man's own body.

Einhorn drew bone marrow from the man's pelvic bone with a needle, condensed it to about four teaspoons of rich red liquid, and injected that into his ankle.

Indianapolis, IN, July 28, 2010 – Emmy-award winning actor Dick Van Dyke has been named the first-ever spokesperson of Cell Therapy Foundation. In this role, Mr. Van Dyke will work with Cell Therapy Foundation, a 501(c)(3) public charity founded in 2007, to advance awareness about the benefits of adult stem cell research for new treatments for debilitating conditions such as heart disease, peripheral artery disease (PAD), arthritis, Lou Gehrig’s disease (ALS) and neurological illnesses, cancer, diabetes, erectile dysfunction, and more.

Curious differences in gene expression between reprogrammed adult stem cells, called induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells), and the embryonic stem cells that the former are designed to mimic might now be explained by a new discovery about just how much information a "reprogrammed" adult stem cell retains.

A new stem cell technology is to be used by Oxford University researchers to better understand the causes of Parkinson's disease.

The technique will use skin samples to grow the brain cells thought to be responsible for the onset of Parkinson's disease, allowing these important neurons to be studied in detail.

Dr Richard Wade-Martins of the Oxford Parkinson's Disease Centre explained how he and his team will use the technique at the annual science meeting of the UK National Stem Cell Network (UKNSCN).