In Jan.2008 my son began to have sudden blurred vision that ended with a weeklong stay in the hospital. He was eventually diagnosed with Leber’s Hereditary Optic Neuropathy (LHON), an inherited disease that has damaged his optic nerve, leaving him blind in both eyes with some peripheral vision. There is no treatment.

He is 20 and in his third year of university and doing well, using assistive software. My question is, will stem cell treatment help him and repair his optic nerve even though it has now been 2 years. Does the length of time he has been blind affect his recovery?

Also, there is a new drug called Catena (from Santhera Pharmaceuticals) that is supposed to help restore vision. With his degree of blindness, only 25% chance of some recovery of vision is possible. Is this treatment worth pursuing?