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Stem cell therapies in the management of diabetic retinopathy

Roly Megaw1, Bal Dhillon

  • 1Scottish Center for Regenerative Medicine, University of Edinburgh, 5 Little France Drive, Edinburgh, EH16 4UU, UK, rolymegaw@ed.ac.uk.

Current Diabetes Reports
|May 7, 2014
PubMed

Insights

Diabetic retinopathy, a leading cause of blindness, involves neurodegeneration and vasodegeneration. Stem cell therapies show promise for neuroprotection, vasoprotection, and regeneration in the diabetic retina.

Area of Science:

  • Ophthalmology
  • Regenerative Medicine
  • Diabetology

Background:

  • Diabetic retinopathy is a primary cause of vision loss in the working-age population.
  • The disease pathogenesis involves both neurodegenerative and vasodegenerative processes.
  • Current treatments target late-stage disease, not underlying causes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the mechanisms of diabetic retinopathy.
  • To highlight stem cell types as potential novel therapies.
  • To discuss stem cells conferring neuroprotection and vasoprotection.

Main Methods:

  • Review of current understanding of diabetic retinopathy mechanisms.
  • Analysis of basic research on stem cell potential.
  • Examination of stem cells for neuro- and vascular regeneration.

Main Results:

  • Stem cells demonstrate potential for neuroprotection and vasoprotection in the diabetic retina.
  • Stem cells can stimulate both neural and vascular regeneration.
  • Several classes of stem cells are under investigation for therapeutic applications.

Conclusions:

  • Stem cell therapy offers a promising approach to address the underlying causes of diabetic retinopathy.
  • Further research and clinical trials are exploring stem cells for treating diabetic retinopathy.
  • Novel stem cell-based treatments could improve outcomes for patients with diabetic retinopathy.

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