Stem Cells in Ophthalmology: Promise and Pitfalls
The unfortunate cases of intravitreal autologous stem cell injections that resulted in multiple PVR detachments, as well as the promise associated with clinical applications of stem cell transplantation/therapy.
Stem cell therapy has been a long pursued “Holy Grail” in the field of medicine. Much progress has been made in the past 20 years, but many unknowns remain. The retina is a primary target for stem cell research; it is an immune-privileged site, an examiner can look through the pupil directly onto neuro and vascular tissue for assessment of therapeutic effect, and patients have a second eye which can act as a control. Eye specialists, Dr. Curtis Hagedorn and Dr. Bill Richheimer will explore the unfortunate cases of intravitreal autologous stem cell injections that resulted in multiple PVR detachments in FL, as well as the promise associated with clinical applications of stem cell transplantation/therapy. Past, present, and future stem cell therapy research for retinal disease will be discussed, emphasizing the importance of good stewardship of these powerful tools as desperate patients seek our guidance in this emerging field.
