Cell-based therapies for traumatic optic neuropathy: Recent advances, challenges, and perspectives.

Evidence from laboratory and animal studies provides groundwork for understanding mechanisms and potential before human studies continue.

• Level A · Stronger Clinical Evidence
• Level B · Emerging clinical evidence with positive signals
• Level C · Early human research exploring benefits
• Level D · Scientific groundwork from lab and animal studies
• Emerging · Emerging topic under active research

Abstract (original English)

Traumatic optic neuropathy is a form of optic neuropathy resulting from trauma. Its pathophysiological mechanisms involve primary and secondary injury phases, leading to progressive retinal ganglion cell loss and axonal degeneration. Contributing factors such as physical trauma, oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, and glial scar formation exacerbate disease progression and retinal ganglion cell death. Multiple forms of cell death-including apoptosis, pyroptosis, necroptosis, and ferroptosis-are involved at different disease stages. Although current treatments, such as corticosteroid therapy and surgical interventions, have limited efficacy, cell-based therapies have emerged as a promising approach that simultaneously promotes neuroprotection and retinal ganglion cell regeneration. This review summarizes recent advances in cell-based therapies for traumatic optic neuropathy. In the context of cell replacement therapy, retinal ganglion cell-like cells derived from embryonic stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells-via chemical induction or direct reprogramming-have demonstrated the ability to integrate into the host retina and survive for weeks to months, potentially improving visual function. Mesenchymal stem cells derived from various sources, including bone marrow, umbilical cord, placenta, and adipose tissue, have been shown to enhance retinal ganglion cell survival, st

Evidence level

Evidence from laboratory and animal studies provides groundwork for understanding mechanisms and potential before human studies continue.

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