Intravenous delivery of mesenchymal stromal cells reverses Müller cell endoplasmic reticulum stress in diabetic retinopathy

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)

Background Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) have emerged as a promising disease-modifying therapy for the complications of diabetes mellitus (DM), including diabetic retinopathy (DR). However, the optimal treatment regimen remains unclear, and challenges persist regarding the timing, route of delivery and the mechanisms underlying the therapeutic effects. This study focused on human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (hUC-MSCs), to elucidate their retinal protective effects, and investigate the underlying mechanisms by which a single intravenous injection might ameliorate the pathological alterations of DR. Methods Two time points after the development of DM were chosen for the in vivo experiments to study the effects of the intervention after different times of exposure to hyperglycemia. hUC-MSCs were injected via the tail vein at 8 and 16 weeks after STZ injection. Retinal samples were collected 2 weeks post-treatment to analyze the therapeutic effect of MSCs on DR. In vitro experiments were conducted using a Müller cell line and a retinal microvascular endothelial cell line cultured under high-glucose conditions, with treatment by hUC-MSCs conditioned media (MSC-CM), to explore the underlying mechanisms. Results After a single intravenous injection of hUC-MSCs at week 16 and not 8 weeks post-STZ injection, retinal tissue showed improved thickness of the inner n

Evidence level

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

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