Optic Nerve Damage & Optic Neuropathy and Regenerative Medicine Research

What is optic nerve damage & optic neuropathy?

Optic neuropathy is damage to the optic nerve, which carries visual information from the eye to the brain. Causes include reduced blood flow (ischemic optic neuropathy), inflammation (optic neuritis), trauma, compression and inherited conditions.

What causes optic nerve damage & optic neuropathy?

Varies by type; the common end point is loss of retinal ganglion cells and their axons.

What structures or cells are affected?

Retinal ganglion cells and their axons in the optic nerve.

How is optic nerve damage & optic neuropathy currently treated or managed?

• Evaluation by an ophthalmologist or neuro-ophthalmologist to identify the cause.
• Treatment of the underlying cause where one exists.

Are these approaches FDA approved for optic nerve damage & optic neuropathy?

No cell or biologic product is FDA-approved to regenerate the optic nerve, to our knowledge as of our last review.^[1]

Why are researchers studying regenerative approaches?

Optic nerve regeneration is one of the most difficult problems in neuroscience; researchers study neuroprotection and axon regeneration in laboratory and animal models.

Research is not treatment. The studies summarized below are investigational. They are presented for education only, do not show that any approach is safe or effective in patients, and are not a recommendation. Unless stated as FDA-approved, none of these approaches is approved for this condition. RUO materials are not for human use.

Stem Cell Research and Optic Nerve Damage & Optic Neuropathy

We have not identified research in this category for optic nerve damage & optic neuropathy that meets our standards for inclusion.

MSC Research and Optic Nerve Damage & Optic Neuropathy

• ● Preclinical Animal EvidenceMesenchymal Stromal/Stem Cells (MSCs)

  Animal models of optic nerve injury have been used to study MSCs and their secreted factors.

  EVIDENCE VERIFICATION REQUIRED. Specific studies have not yet been verified by our reviewers. Search the literature: PubMed search: mesenchymal stem cells optic nerve injury

Extracellular Vesicle / Exosome Research and Optic Nerve Damage & Optic Neuropathy

• ● Preclinical Animal EvidenceExtracellular Vesicles

  Preclinical studies have examined extracellular vesicles after optic nerve injury.

  EVIDENCE VERIFICATION REQUIRED. Specific studies have not yet been verified by our reviewers. Search the literature: PubMed search: extracellular vesicles optic nerve crush

Other Cell-Based Research

We have not identified research in this category for optic nerve damage & optic neuropathy that meets our standards for inclusion.

Are Clinical Trials Underway?

Trial status changes often. Search the official U.S. registry directly: Optic Neuropathy + stem cell. A registered trial is not an endorsement, and registration does not mean a treatment works.

What Has NOT Yet Been Proven

• That optic nerve function can be restored in people with any cell or vesicle approach.

Potential Biological Mechanisms Researchers Are Investigating

Risks and Scientific Unknowns

• Unapproved cell and biologic procedures offered outside clinical trials have been associated with serious harm, including permanent vision loss.
• Products sold as "stem cells" or "exosomes" vary widely in what they actually contain; composition, purity and potency are often not independently verified.
• Results in cells and animals frequently do not carry over to people; many approaches that look promising in the laboratory never reach approval.

Questions to Ask a Qualified Eye Doctor

• What type and stage of this condition do I have, and how is it likely to progress?
• Which treatments are established for my situation, and what are their benefits and risks?
• Are there clinical trials I might qualify for, and how would I verify a trial is legitimate?
• If I have seen a clinic offering stem cell or exosome procedures for my eyes, what questions should I ask?

Related research questions

• What does current research say about MSCs and optic nerve damage & optic neuropathy?
• Is MSCs being studied for optic nerve damage & optic neuropathy?
• Are clinical trials investigating MSCs in optic nerve damage & optic neuropathy?
• What preclinical evidence exists involving MSCs and optic nerve damage & optic neuropathy?
• Has MSCs been studied in humans with optic nerve damage & optic neuropathy?
• What are the limitations of current MSCs research for optic nerve damage & optic neuropathy?
• Is MSCs FDA approved for optic nerve damage & optic neuropathy?
• What does current research say about extracellular vesicles and optic nerve damage & optic neuropathy?
• Is extracellular vesicles being studied for optic nerve damage & optic neuropathy?
• Are clinical trials investigating extracellular vesicles in optic nerve damage & optic neuropathy?
• What preclinical evidence exists involving extracellular vesicles and optic nerve damage & optic neuropathy?
• Has extracellular vesicles been studied in humans with optic nerve damage & optic neuropathy?
• What are the limitations of current extracellular vesicles research for optic nerve damage & optic neuropathy?
• Is extracellular vesicles FDA approved for optic nerve damage & optic neuropathy?

Frequently Asked Questions