Intravitreal Injection of Retinal Progenitor Cells Shows Promise in Preclinical Study for Diabetic Retinopathy

IRVINE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct 2, 2025--

A new preclinical study titled “Intravitreal Transplantation of Retinal Progenitor Cells Improves Outcome Measures in a Rat Model of Diabetic Retinopathy” reports that retinal progenitor cells (RPCs) may provide both functional and anatomical benefits in diabetic retinopathy (DR), one of the leading causes of vision loss worldwide and the most common eye disease afflicting over 600 million people worldwide with diabetes.

The research addresses a critical unmet need: current therapies for DR focus primarily on vascular complications and often carry significant side effects, while failing to address the loss of retinal neurons. This study evaluated whether intravitreal transplantation of RPCs could improve outcomes in a rat model of DR.

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