title: Cell surgery and growth factors in dry age-related macular degeneration: visual prognosis and morphological study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of this research was to study the overall restoration effect on residual retinal cells through surgically grafted autologous cells onto the surrounding tissue, choroid and retina in order to produce a constant secretion of growth factors (GFs) in dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD) patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  6 months after surgery, several values were statistically significant in the group with higher RTA. Also patient compliance analysis (PCA) in relation to functional change perception appeared to be very good.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-six eyes of 25 patients (range 64-84 years of age) affected by dry AMD were included in study, and divided in two groups by spectral domain-optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT): group A with retinal thickness average (RTA) less than 250 microns (µm) and group B with RTA equal to or more than 250 µm. Adipocytes, adipose-derived stem cells from the stromal-vascular fraction, and platelets from platelet-rich plasma were implanted in the suprachoroidal space. Particularly, the following parameters were evaluated: best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) for far and near distance, retinal thickness maps, scotopic and photopic electroretinogram (ERG), and microperimetry (MY). All statistical analyses were performed with STATA 14.0 (Collage Station, Texas, USA).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The available set of GFs allowed biological retinal neuroenhancement. After 6 months it improved visual performance (VP), but the increase was better if RTA recorded by OCT was higher, probably in relation to the presence of areas with greater cellularity.
authors.affiliation: Low Vision Research Centre of Milan, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Paolo Giuseppe
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Limoli
authors.affiliation: Low Vision Research Centre of Milan, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Celeste
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Limoli
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, A. Fiorini Hospital, Terracina, Polo Pontino, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Enzo Maria
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Vingolo
authors.affiliation: Departement of Ophthalmology, Glaucoma and Low Vision Study Center, University of Bologna, S. Orsola-Malpighi Hospital, Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: Sergio Zaccaria
authors.initials: SZ
authors.lastname: Scalinci
authors.affiliation: Department of Sense Organs, Faculty of Medicine and Odontology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Marcella
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nebbioso
mesh_terms: D017667:Adipocytes / Q000637:transplantation*; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001792:Blood Platelets; D004596:Electroretinography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D008268:Macular Degeneration / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D045164:Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplantation; D011379:Prognosis; D012160:Retina / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence; D014182:Transplantation, Autologous; D014792:Visual Acuity
chemical_list: D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins
keywords: Gerotarget; age-related macular degeneration (AMD); cell autologous graft; growth factors (GFs); limoli retinal restoration technique (LRRT); suprachoroidal graft