Pericytes are protective for retinal microvessels
In a recent study, work ongoing in TIWR in collaboration with colleagues at the University of Virginia indicates that a vascular progenitor cell population derived from adipose is capable of protecting the retinal capillaries against the damaging effects of elevated oxygen. These pre-clinical findings lend strong support for the notion that pericyte-like cells derived from adipose may offer an innovative cell-based therapy for patients suffering with diabetic retinopathy or age-related macular degeneration.
The work was recently published in PLoS ONE http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0065691