CELL-BASED THERAPY

Research on cell-based therapy for retinal degenerative disease has progressed from laboratory-based experiments performed in preclinical models to early phase clinical trials. With this transition, cell-based therapy has taken an important step forward toward becoming an innovative strategy for preserving or restoring vision in patients affected by a variety of incurable blinding diseases. Therefore, the time seemed right to compile and publish the first textbook on cell-based ocular therapy, according to Ricardo P Casaroli-Marano MD, PhD and Marco A Zarbin MD, PhD, volume editors of Cell-Based Therapy for Retinal Degenerative Disease.

“Recent advances in cellular and molecular biology have increased our understanding of the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying retinal degenerative diseases and consequently enabled expansion of translational research. Therefore, it seemed appropriate to develop a text exploring applications of stem cell therapy to the treatment of these major causes of blindness,” said Dr Casaroli-Marano, professor and researcher, Department of Surgery and Surgical Specializations (School of Medicine), University of Barcelona, Spain.

Dr Zarbin noted that with the entry of cell-based therapy for retinal degenerative diseases into human studies and as the numbers of those trials are growing, various groups of individuals will have an interest in learning more about this topic.

“This book provides a comprehensive, scholarly and practical resource for a broad audience of readers,” said Dr Zarbin, the Alfonse Cinotti MD/Lions Eye research professor and chair, Institute of Ophthalmology & Visual Science, Rutgers-New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ.

Referenced chapters

The book features 15 referenced chapters that are written by 44 contributors who represent leading experts in their fields. “Potential readers only need to read the preface of the book to determine whether or not it will be helpful to them,” Dr Zarbin said. “Then, with its list of contributors and the references at the end of each chapter, the book provides an excellent starting place for identifying personal contacts and material for further reading for anyone who wants to develop a more
mature understanding of a particular topic.”

Marco A Zarbin: zarbin@earthlink.net

Ricardo P Casaroli-Marano: rcasaroli@ub.edu