Antioxidant and Biological Properties of Mesenchymal Cells Used for Therapy in Retinitis Pigmentosa

Abstract

Both tissue repair and regeneration are a priority in regenerative medicine. Retinitis pigmentosa (RP), a complex retinal disease characterized by the progressive loss of impaired photoreceptors, is currently lacking effective therapies: this represents one of the greatest challenges in the field of ophthalmological research. Although this inherited retinal dystrophy is still an incurable genetic disease, the oxidative damage is an important pathogenetic element that may represent a viable target of therapy. In this review, we summarize the current neuroscientific evidence regarding the effectiveness of cell therapies in RP, especially those based on mesenchymal cells, and we focus on their therapeutic action: limitation of both oxidative stress and apoptotic processes triggered by the disease and promotion of cell survival. Cell therapy could therefore represent a feasible therapeutic option in RP.

Keywords: MSC; cell therapy; oxidative stress; retinitis pigmentosa.

Figure 1

Principal therapeutic mechanisms of MSCs, modified by Liang [156].

Figure 2

Image showing the effect of the suprachoroidal implantation of autologous mesenchymal cells in a patient with retinitis pigmentosa. The OCT shows the foveal area thickness; the thicker it is, the greater the interactions between growth factors and residual cells. It can explain the increase in visual performance (BCVA, dB, pts) at T180. Image courtesy of P. Limoli—Low Vision research Centre of Milan.