by Lynda Charters – Ophthalmology Times
A recent survey of retinal clinic patients reveals a lack of awareness of the risks and safety issues associated with stem cell therapies.
Intravitreal injections of unapproved stem cell therapies have resulted in irreversible blindness. Lack of patient understanding of stem cell treatments, and the actions of predatory practitioners, have led to these devastating consequences. There are currently no stem cell therapies approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat retinal diseases, and the clinical trials evaluating their efficacy and safety are only now under way.
Marissa Patel, an MD candidate at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, and Dr Jayanth Sridhar, of the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, Florida, US, along with their colleagues conducted a survey of patients at a retina clinic to determine their level of understanding of stem cell treatments. The 87 participants who received the survey were adults who presented to the retina clinic because they needed intravitreal injections.