Mesenchymal stem cells for treatment of retinitis pigmentosa: short review

The management of retinitis pigmentosa (RP) and its progression has always been a difficult issue, but promising developments have been shown by the use of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). It has thus been evidenced how these cells have significant paracrine and immunomodulatory properties: they secrete trophic factors that stimulate RPE or that are similar to those produced by RPE. In studies using animal models, MSCs have been found to be effective in stopping the progression of retinal degeneration and for rescuing photoreceptors in the dormant phase. Furthermore these cells are hypoimmunogenic and have been shown to suppress chronic inflammation, prevent apoptosis and stimulate progenitor cells in the retina promoting self-repair mechanisms. Previous studies have already evidenced how grafting autologous mesenchymal cells, in a scleral pocket above the choroid, with the limoli retinal restoration technique (LRRT) could exert a beneficial effect on the residual retinal cells in patients with retinitis pigmentosa (RP). This surgical procedure can improve the clinical and rehabilitative prognostic parameters in RP patients even though further researches and studies will be needed to evaluate its efficacy

Apoptosi e neurobiologia della retina

Gli autori descrivono i meccanismi di morte cellulare e in specie l'innesco dell'apoptosi come indotta da stress cellulare o da recettori di membran

MP-1 Biofeedback: Luminous Pattern Stimulus Versus Acoustic Biofeedback in Age Related Macular degeneration (AMD)

In this study we evaluated the efficacy of visual rehabilitation by means of two different types of biofeedback techniques in patients with age related macular degeneration (AMD). Thirty patients, bilaterally affected by AMD, were randomly divided in two groups: one group was treated with an acoustic biofeedback (AB group), the other was treated with luminous biofeedback of a black and white checkerboard flickering during the examination (LB group). All patients underwent a complete ophthalmological examination. Rehabilitation consisted of 12 training sessions of 10 min for each eye performed once a week for both groups. Both groups showed better visual performance after rehabilitation and luminous flickering biofeedback stimulus showed a statistically significant improvement in training the patients to modify their preferred retinal locus in comparison to acoustic biofeedback. This suggests that it might be possible in the damaged retina to override dead photoreceptor and outer retinal layers and involve residual surviving cells, as well as amplify and integrate retinal and brain cortex plasticity by using other spared channels towards associative pathways

Visual recovery after primary retinal detachment surgery: biofeedback rehabilitative strategy

Purpose. To evaluate possible speeding up recovery time after retinal detachment (RD) surgery using biofeedback strategy. Methods. A total of 52 eyes were selected. After surgery, patients were divided into two groups: group A, including patients submitted to biofeedback with MP-1 strategy; group B, patients who received common care strategy. Biofeedback strategy was started 15 days after the suspension of cycloplegic eye drops in buckling procedure or after silicone oil removal in the vitrectomized eyes. Controls were scheduled at baseline and 6, 12, and 18 weeks. Results. At baseline, there was no significant difference in BCVA between groups (P = 0.4230). At the end of biofeedback treatment (WK 6) BCVA of group A was significantly better (P < 0.001) than group B and BCVA was still better in group A than group B at WK 12 (P = 0.028) and at WK 18 (P = 0.041). Conclusions. Visual recovery after RD surgery is still unclear, and it does not depend on entity of the RD. Our data demonstrate that in biofeedback group there was a significant recovery in visual performances that still remains evident after 3 months from the baseline