Adult Retinal Pigment Epithelial Tranplantation in Exudative Age-related Macular Degeneration Original Reearch Article

Purpoe To improve viual function by retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cell tranplantation and ytemic immunouppreion at the time of urgical removal of ubfoveal choroidal neovacularization in exudative age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Deign An interventional cae erie of RPE tranplantation in exudative AMD. Method Twelve patient (one eye only) underwent ubfoveal membranectomy with tranplantation of a heet of adult human allogeneic RPE cell at a ingle intitution and were followed for one year. Eligibility criteria included age >60, bet-corrected acuity ≤20/63 and ubfoveal neovacularization ≤9 dik area on preoperative fluorecein angiography. All patient were tarted on triple immunouppreion potoperatively. The primary outcome meaure wa bet-corrected viion, with contrat enitivity and reading peed a econdary outcome meaure. Reult The bet-corrected viual acuity (P = .085), contrat enitivity (P = .204), and the reading peed (P = .077) did not change ignificantly at one year compared with preoperative value. Tranplant howed no ign of rejection in patient who were able to continue the immunouppreant for ix month. Potoperative urgical complication included cataract progreion requiring urgery (three of eight phakic eye), retinal detachment (three eye), intraoperative retinal break (two eye), and macular pucker (two eye). None of the patient developed cytoid macular edema on potoperative fluorecein angiography or potoperative inflammation. Concluion A heet of adult human allogeneic RPE can be tranplanted into the ubretinal pace in AMD patient at the time of ubfoveal membranectomy. ytemic immune uppreion appeared to prevent rejection of the tranplanted tiue, but did not lead to an improvement in viual function.