Bone Marrow CD133 Stem Cells Ameliorate Visual Dysfunction in Streptozotocin-induced Diabetic Mice with Early Diabetic Retinopathy.

Diabetic retinopathy (DR), one of the leading causes of vision loss worldwide, is characterized by neurovascular disorders. Emerging evidence has demonstrated retinal neurodegeneration in the early pathogenesis of DR, and no treatment has been developed to prevent the early neurodegenerative changes that precede detectable microvascular disorders. Bone marrow CD133 stem cells with revascularization properties exhibit neuroregenerative potential.

Transplanted olfactory ensheathing cells restore retinal function in a rat model of light-induced retinal damage by inhibiting oxidative stress.

There is still not an effective treatment for continuous retinal light exposure and subsequent photoreceptor degeneration. Olfactory ensheathing cell (OEC) transplantation has been shown to be neuroprotective in spinal cord, and optic nerve injury and retinitis pigmentosa. However, whether OECs protect rat photoreceptors against light-induced damage and how this may work is unclear.

Curcumin Delays Retinal Degeneration by Regulating Microglia Activation in the Retina of rd1 Mice.

Background/aims: Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is characterized by degeneration of photoreceptors, and there are currently no effective treatments for this disease. However, curcumin has shown neuroprotectant efficacy in a RP rat and swine model, and thus, may have neuroprotective effects in this disease.

Methods: Immunofluorescence staining, electroretinogram recordings, and behavioral tests were used to analyze the effects of curcumin and the underlying mechanism in retinal degeneration 1 (rd1) mice.

TGF-β1 enhances phagocytic removal of neuron debris and neuronal survival by olfactory ensheathing cells via integrin/MFG-E8 signaling pathway.

Olfactory ensheathing cells (OECs) have been shown to be a leading candidate in cell therapies for central nervous system (CNS) injuries and neurodegenerative diseases. Rapid clearance of neuron debris can promote neuronal survival and axonal regeneration in CNS injuries and neurodegenerative diseases. The phagocytic removal of neuron debris by OECs has been shown to contribute to neuronal outgrowth.

Lin28b stimulates the reprogramming of rat Müller glia to retinal progenitors.

In lower-order vertebrates, Müller glia exhibit characteristics of retinal progenitor cells, while in higher vertebrates, such as mammals, the regenerative capacity of Müller glia is limited. Recently, we reported that Lin28b promoted the trans-differentiation of Müller cells to rod photoreceptor and bipolar cells in the retina of retinitis pigmentosa rat model, whereas it is unclear whether Lin28b can stimulate the reprogramming of Müller glia in vitro for transplantation into a damaged retina. In the present study, Long-Evens rat Müller glia were infected with Adeno-Lin28b or Adeno-GFP.

Neural stem cells transplanted to the subretinal space of rd1 mice delay retinal degeneration by suppressing microglia activation.

Background Aims: Retinal degeneration (RD) is an inherited eye disease characterized by irreversible photoreceptor loss. Conventionally, the activation of the resident microglia is secondary to the disease. Stem cell-based therapy has recently made rapid progress in treating RD.