A clinical trial investigating the use of patients’ own CD34+ stem cells to treat vision loss caused by central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO) has found the treatment “well tolerated and feasible”, establishing an important safety foundation for future studies.
CD34+ stem cells are naturally occurring repair cells found in bone marrow that play a key role in vascular healing.
Dr Susanna Park and her team from University of California Davis Eye Center isolated these cells from a patient’s own bone marrow and injected them in the eye, with the goal of supporting the repair of damaged retinal blood vessels and improving visual function.1
CRVO is a leading cause of vision loss, particularly among older adults. While current therapies can address complications such as retinal swelling, many patients experience persistent vision loss despite treatment.
Dr Park’s clinical trial was designed to address this unmet need by evaluating a novel, regenerative approach for patients with limited options.
The recently completed randomised clinical trial demonstrated that intravitreal injection of autologous CD34+ stem cells is well tolerated and feasible, establishing an important safety foundation for future studies.
“Although these findings do not yet change standard clinical practice, they provide meaningful hope for patients and support continued investigation in larger trials to assess visual outcomes and long-term benefits,” the study authors said.2
… intravitreal injection of autologous CD34+ stem cells is well tolerated and feasible, establishing an important safety foundation for future studies.
References
- Park SS, McCormack J, Nolta JA, et al. Randomized study of intravitreal autologous CD34+ stem cells in central retinal vein occlusion (Treatment of Retinal vein occlusion Using STem cells [TRUST] Report 1): Safety and feasibility. Ophthalmol Sci. 2025 Aug 5;6(1):100905. doi: 10.1016/j.xops.2025.100905.
- Cummings K. Novel stem cell therapy to treat central retinal vein occlusion, UC Davis Medical Center, available at: linkedin.com/pulse/novel-stem-cell-therapy-treat-central-retinal-vein-vt2kc/ [accessed Feb 2026].
