Recent Progress in Retinal Pigment Epithelium Cell-Based Therapy for Retinal Disease

Age-related macular degeneration and retinitis pigmentosa are degenerative retinal diseases that cause severe vision loss. Early clinical trials involving transplantation of retinal pigment epithelial cells and/or photoreceptors as a treatment for these conditions are underway. In this review, we summarize recent progress in the field of retinal pigment epithelium transplantation, including some pertinent clinical trial results as well as preclinical studies that address issues of transplant immunology, cell delivery, and cell manufacturing.