Stem cell research given $3 million funding boost

Children who are blind or suffering congenital heart conditions are among those set to benefit from a funding boost into stem cell research.

The federal government today announced $3 million will be poured into stem cell-related projects – including using patients’ cells to create either beating hearts or eye models in the hope of finding cures.

“Two thousand children are born with congenital heart conditions a year and this is about giving them hope,” Minister for Health Greg Hunt said.

Melissa Little from Stem Cells Australia added the funding is “a fabulous outcome.”

“Now we'll be able to build real teams of researchers,” Ms Little said.

One of many whose lives could change for the better thanks to stem cell research is Melbourne boy Harry Feller, who is one of just 4000 suffering a particular strand of Usher's Syndrome.

He still has his sight, but to prevent blindness setting in researchers have transformed Harry's skin cells into models of his eyes.

“Now they can do experiments on those photo receptors, in what they would term individual medicine,” Harry’s father Daniel told 9NEWS.

Along with reconstructing parts of the eye, experts are also looking into turning blood cells into stem cells, which can grow as a component of a heart, beating visibly through a microscope.

“Those cells are identical to the patient. That means we don't have any transplant rejection problems,’ Doctor David Elliot from the Murdoch Children’s Institute said.