Photo courtesy of the New York Times.

Making the blind see may seem like a miracle.

Some think that miracle has taken place.

The cause for this excitement is some promising results from a new embryonic stem cell treatment for macular degeneration.

Advanced Cell Technology developed the treatment, which was used on two legally blind patients at UCLA. The two women reported encouraging gains in vision, one reporting she had been able to thread a needle, and the other patient reported she was able to navigate a shopping mall by herself.

The news remains controversial for a number of reasons.

As many critics point out, two patients do not make for a statistically significant study. Embryonic stem cells themselves have been controversial, since their creation typically involves the destruction of human embryos.

The first trial of a therapy using human embryonic stem cells, run by Geron, shut down in November mid-trial. (Though Geron cited a lack of funding, rather than controversy, as the cause).

Does embryonic stem cell therapy have a future in the medical field? We’ll wait and see.