Stem cells for treatment of diabetic retinopathy - positive results in the lab

University of Virginia School of Medicine researchers have taken a significant step forward in their efforts to use stem cells to block vision loss caused by diabetic retinopathy, a condition that affects millions of people with diabetes. The researchers have evaluated the best potential sources for adult stem cells to be used for that purpose, determining that cells taken from donors who do not suffer diabetes likely will be more effective than cells taken from patients' own bodies.

The authors have recently shown that an intravitreal injection of adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) can stabilize the retinal microvasculature, enabling repair and regeneration of damaged capillary beds in vivo.

This new work is a critical step toward the goal of injecting stem cells into patients' eyes to stop or even reverse the vision loss. The findings also establish a crucial framework for evaluating stem cells to be used in potential future treatments for diabetic retinopathy.

The researchers hope to use fat-derived stem cells -- harvested during liposuction procedures -- to stop the vascular degeneration that leads to blindness in patients with diabetic retinopathy.

New and better treatments for diabetic retinopathy are needed desperately, both because of the growing number of people with the condition and because of the limited effectiveness of existing treatments. More than 100 million people are estimated to suffer from diabetic retinopathy and related conditions; current treatments either destroy much of the retina with a laser or require patients to receive injections directly into their eyeball as often as monthly for the rest of their lives.

While much more work needs to be done, the researchers hope to begin clinical trials in humans within the next few years.

Sources: EurekaAlert Stem Cells Translational Medicine

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