Researchers based at the Jules Stein Eye Institute Retina Division and David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, have published the results of embryonic stem cell (hESC)-derived retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cell treatments in two retinal degenerative diseases. The phase I/II open label studies were funded by Advanced Cell Technologies, Inc, a Massachusetts based clinical stage biotechnology company focused on regenerative medicine. Results, published online in the The Lancet, indicate that the primary end-points of safety and tolerability were met in addition to a potential positive impact on acuity noted by the investigators.