Stem cell transplantation for retinal degeneration: current status and future prospects

Abstract

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and retinitis pigmentosa (RP), characterized by dysfunction and loss of retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) and photoreceptors and then retinal degeneration, are major causes of blindness. Currently, there is still no curable treatment available. Recent clinical trials showed that stem cell therapy provided a safe and promising efficiency for these retinal diseases. Transplantation of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) and induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells have obtained safe outcomes for RPE replacement and achieved certain efficacy in treatment of AMD. Fetal retinal progenitor cells for photoreceptor replacement have also confirmed long-term safety and feasibility in vision repair for RP patients. However, there still exist some challenges in this field, including developing novo transplantation technique, ensuring long-term cellular survival and promoting the integration of transplanted cells into the retina. This article provided an analysis of ongoing studies and challenges ahead in this aspect.

Keywords

• stem cells
• retina
• translational medicine