Application researches of mesenchymal stem cells combined with statins in diabetic retinopathy

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a common complication of eye in diabetics and is one of the major causes of blindness in adults.The current treatments of DR include surgery and laser therapy, but this does not fundamentally cure DR.Recent studies have found that mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) for cell therapy to DR have a wide range of applications.MSCs have regenerative potential and play a role in the repairment of the retina, but the survival and homing ability of MSCs are poor after transplantation, which reduces the therapeutic efficiency of MSCs.Statins have a variety of beneficial effects independent of lipid regulation, which can promote the proliferation of MSCs and inhibit the apoptosis of MSCs.This paper reviewed the application and mechanism of MSCs combined with statins in the treatment of DR.