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Purpose: Retinal degenerative diseases targeting the RPE and adjacent photoreceptors affect millions of people worldwide. The field of stem cell- and gene-based therapy holds great potential for the treatment of such diseases. The present study sought to graft genetically engineered mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) that continuously produce neurotrophin-4 (NT-4) into the murine eye after the onset of acute retinal injury., Methods: C57BL/6 mice were subjected to acute retinal damage using a low dose of sodium iodate (20 mg/kg of body weight), followed by intravitreal injection of lentivirally modified MSC-NT-4 into the right eye. At 3 months after the MSC transplantation grafted cell survival, retinal function and gene expression were analyzed., Results: Immunofluorescence analysis confirmed that transplanted MSCs survived for at least 3 months after intravitreal injection and preferentially migrated toward sites of injury within the retina. MSC-NT-4 actively produced NT-4 in the injured retina and significantly protected damaged retinal cells, as evaluated by ERG and optical coherence tomography (OCT). Of importance, the long-term therapy with MSC-NT-4 was also associated with induction of prosurvival signaling, considerable overexpression of some subsets of transcripts, including several members of the crystallin β-γ superfamily (Cryba4, Crybb3, Cryba2, Crybb1, Crybb2, Cryba1, and Crygc) and significant upregulation of biological processes associated with visual perception, sensory perception of light stimulus, eye development, sensory organ development, and system development., Conclusions: Transplantation of genetically modified MSCs that produce neurotrophic growth factors may represent a useful strategy for treatment of different forms of retinopathies in the future.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to appraise the functional response of damaged retina to the stem cell-based therapy in mice. The majority of disorders leading to the irreversible vision loss in the developed world is caused by retinal degeneration. Since, recent reports emphasized regenerative potential of bone marrow stem marrow stem/progenitor cells (SPCs), we investigated here the beneficial effect of intravenously administrated SPCs on regeneration of acutely injured retina., Material and Methods: Selective chemical injury of murine retinas was induced by intravenous administration of sodium iodate (NalO3) in its toxic dose. Flash electroretinogram (ERG), was performed in different time points after infusion of bone marrow-derived and negative for linage antigens population of SPCs., Results: Stem cell-based therapy resulted in gradual increase of b-wave amplitude in ERG recordings starting from the 3rd day after NalO3 administration, what confirmed the improvement of retinal function in long-term observation., Conclusions: Our preliminary findings revealed that the selected stem cell-based therapy employed in the adjuvant mode has been shown to be effective in supporting the retinal function recovery after acute retinal damage.