In effort to treat rare blinding disease, researchers turn stem cells into blood vessels

People with a mutated ATF6 gene have a malformed or missing fovea, the eye region responsible for detailed vision. From birth, vision is severely limited, and there is no cure. Researchers were the first to link ATF6 to this type of vision impairment. In a new study, the team discovered that a chemical that activates ATF6 converts patient stem cells into blood vessels.