Promises of stem cell therapy for retinal degenerative diseases

Authors :: David Wong
Ian Y. H. Wong
Qizhou Lian
Rosita Tsz-Wai Pang
Ming-Wai Poon
Source :: Graefe's Archive for Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology
Publication Year :: 2011
Publisher :: Springer Verlag. The Journal's web site is located at http://link.springer.de/link/service/journals/00417/index.htm, 2011.
Abstract: With the development of stem cell technology, stem cell-based therapy for retinal degeneration has been proposed to restore the visual function. Many animal studies and some clinical trials have shown encouraging results of stem cell-based therapy in retinal degenerative diseases. While stem cell-based therapy is a promising strategy to replace damaged retinal cells and ultimately cure retinal degeneration, there are several important challenges which need to be overcome before stem cell technology can be applied widely in clinical settings. In this review, different types of donor cell origins used in retinal treatments, potential target cell types for therapy, methods of stem cell delivery to the eye, assessments of potential risks in stem cell therapy, as well as future developments of retinal stem cells therapy, will be discussed.<br />published_or_final_version<br />Springer Open Choice, 21 Feb 2012

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