Table 3.
Stem cell based treatment effects in RPE cells.
| S.No | Cell Type | Obtained from | Positive effects in RPE cells | Limitations | Study references |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | RPCs | Embryonic or fetal retinal progenitors, neural stem cells, and iPSCs | Migrate and differentiate to overcome anatomic and functional degeneration of the retina. | Very less limitations, due to minimized chances for immunological rejection in patients. | 97,108,130 |
| 2 | BMSCs | Human bone marrow | Safe, increased functional recovery and overcome immunologic incompatibilities. | Process is time consuming. Not disease specific. |
109, 110, 111 |
| 3 | hESCs | hESCs | Can proliferate into any of the cell types. | Limited to Wet age-related macular degeneration (wet-AMD). | 103,112 |
| 4 | iPSCs | Can be generated from any adult somatic cells | Pluripotency, low risk of immune rejection and self-renewal capacity. | Spontaneous differentiation of the iPSC are not amenable. iPSCs production is expensive and time consuming. | 97,104,105,113 |
| 5 | HuCNS-SC | Derived from fetal tissues. | Less anatomical and functional abnormalities. Controlled RPE proliferation |
RPE proliferation limited to some microscopic distance. | 114,115,187 |
| 6 | Adipose- Derived Stromal/Stem Cells. | Derived from Mesenchymal stem cells, this is obtained from adipose tissue. | Protecting RPE from damage due to oxidative stress. Prevent RPE apoptosis. |
Once transplanted in-vivo, these cells can't home to the site of injury. | 116,117,188 |
RPCs: Retinal progenitor cells; BMSCs:Bone marrow stem cells; iPSCs: induced pluripotent stem cells; hESCs: human embryonic stem cells; AMD: age related macular degeneration; HuCNS-SC: Human Central Nervous System Stem Cells; RPE: retinal pigment epithelium.