Scientists in the city have come up with a way of reversing the ageing process in eyes.

A Bristol University team is using stem cell technology in an attempt to combat degenerative eye conditions.

The work is being carried out at the National Eye Research Centre based in Bristol Eye Hospital.

Researchers are using eyes donated to the largest eye bank in the country, based at the city centre hospital.

The prevalence of conditions such as age-related macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy is expected to double by 2020, but the stem cell therapy could eventually be used to repair the damage in human patients.

Currently, the conditions – which can lead to blindness – are incurable, but in the future the work carried out at Bristol University could lead to patients receiving transplants that may turn back the clock.

The research is still in the laboratory phase, but scientists have worked out how to take the retina from donated eyes and regenerate them in the laboratory so that the cells can then be transplanted into the eye of the affected person.

At the moment patients can receive cornea transplants but not retina cells so the work at Bristol is a significant breakthrough.

A patent application has been filed and the research was recently presented at a World Stem Cell Summit in Baltimore.

Dr Tina Qiu is leading the project in the city with the support of the National Eye Research Centre.

The charity was set up initially for work in Bristol, but now also supports work across the country.

Bristol's eye bank was set up with support from the National Eye Research Centre and provides almost half of the corneas used for transplants in the UK.

Dr Qiu is currently working in tissue culture labs to work out the best ways to re-program the cells from the donated eyes.

She said: "This is the first work of its kind in humans

"We have got a long way to go before we can actually do it on humans.

"It will have an important impact on life.

"We have a model in place and know how to do it and need to assess it to confirm that the transplant works."

The National Eye Research Centre is hoping to raise enough money to purchase a special microscope to help the research.

Rather than just taking still images of cells, the £23,000 model will record the activity of cells.

Dr Qiu said: "This is very important piece of equipment. Another microscope does not have the function to give a high resolution image.

"It is very important for me to see the process so I need a microscope that can record cell behaviour 24 hours a day."

For more information, or to support the National Eye Research Centre visit www.nerc.co.uk or contact 929 0024.