title: The promise of stem cell-based therapeutics in ophthalmology.
abstract: The promising role of cellular therapies in the preservation and restoration of visual function has prompted intensive efforts to characterize embryonic, adult, and induced pluripotent stem cells for regenerative purposes. Three main approaches to the use of stem cells have been described: sustained drug delivery, immunomodulation, and differentiation into various ocular structures. Studies of the differentiation capacity of all three types of stem cells into epithelial, neural, glial and vascular phenotypes have reached proof-of-concept in culture, but the correction of vision is still in the early developmental stages, and the requirements for effectivein vivoimplementation are still unclear. We present an overview of some of the preclinical findings on stem-cell rescue and regeneration of the cornea and retina in acute injury and degenerative disorders.
authors.affiliation: The Krieger Eye Research Laboratory, Felsenstein Medical Research Center, Petach Tikva, Israel; Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
authors.forename: Israel
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Aharony
authors.affiliation: The Krieger Eye Research Laboratory, Felsenstein Medical Research Center, Petach Tikva, Israel; Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel; Department of Neurosurgery, Rabin Medical Center - Beilinson Hospital, Petach Tikva, Israel.
authors.forename: Shalom
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Michowiz
authors.affiliation: The Krieger Eye Research Laboratory, Felsenstein Medical Research Center, Petach Tikva, Israel; Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel; Department of Ophthalmology, Bnai Zion Medical Center, Haifa, Israel.
authors.forename: Nitza
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Goldenberg-Cohen
keywords: acute ocular injury; adult stem cells; cornea; degenerative retinal disorders; embryonic stem cells; immunomodulation; induced pluripotent stem cells; neuroprotection; regeneration; retina; tissue recovery