Stem cells as tools in regenerative therapy for retinal degeneration.
OBJECTIVE
To describe the use of stem cells (SCs) for regeneration of retinal degenerations. Regenerative medicine intends to provide therapies for severe injuries or chronic diseases where endogenous repair does not sufficiently restore the tissue. Pluripotent SCs, with their capacity to give rise to specialized cells, are the most promising candidates for clinical application. Despite encouraging results, a combination with up-to-date tissue engineering might be critical for ultimate success.


METHODS
The focus is on the use of SCs for regeneration of retinal degenerations. Cell populations include embryonic, neural, and bone marrow-derived SCs, and engineered grafts will also be described.


RESULTS
Experimental approaches have successfully replaced damaged photoreceptors and retinal pigment epithelium using endogenous and exogenous SCs.


CONCLUSIONS
Stem cells have the potential to significantly impact retinal regeneration. A combination with bioengineering may bear even greater promise. However, ethical and scientific issues have yet to be solved.
Department of Ophthalmology, Inselspital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
Volker
V
Enzmann
Esma
E
Yolcu
Henry J
HJ
Kaplan
Suzanne T
ST
Ildstad
D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D039904:Pluripotent Stem Cells / Q000637:transplantation*; D012038:Regeneration; D044968:Regenerative Medicine; D012160:Retina / Q000502:physiology*; D012162:Retinal Degeneration / Q000628:therapy*; D033581:Stem Cell Transplantation; D023822:Tissue Engineering