Vascular regeneration for ischemic retinopathies: Hope from cell therapies.

Vascular regeneration for ischemic retinopathies: Hope from cell therapies. Curr Eye Res. 2019 Oct 14;: Authors: Bertelli PM, Pedrini E, Guduric-Fuchs J, Peixoto E, Pathak V, Stitt AW, Medina RJ Abstract Retinal vascular diseases, such as diabetic retinopathy, retinopathy of prematurity, retinal vein occlusion, ocular ischemic syndrome and ischemic optic neuropathy, are leading causes of vision impairment and blindness. Whilst drug, laser or surgery-based treatments for the late stage complications of many of these diseases are available, interventions that target the early vasodegenerative stages are lacking. Progressive vasculopathy and ensuing ischemia is an underpinning pathology in many of these diseases, leading to hypoperfusion, hypoxia, and ultimately pathological neovascularization and/or edema in the retina and other ocular tissues, such as the optic nerve and iris. Therefore, repairing the retinal vasculature may prevent progression of ischemic retinopathies into late stage vascular complications. Various cell types have been explored for their vascular repair potential. Endothelial progenitor cells, mesenchymal stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells are studied for their potential to integrate with the damaged retinal vasculature and limit ischemic injury. Clinical trials for some of these cell types have confirmed safety and feasibility in the treatment of ischemic diseases, including some retinopathies. Another p...
Source: Current Eye Research - Category: Opthalmology Authors: Tags: Curr Eye Res Source Type: research