The most common forms of retinopathy to cause serious visual impairment and blindness are age-related macular degeneration (AMD), retinitis pigmentosa (RP) and diabetic retinopathy (DR).  These ocular diseases which cause so much suffering are associated with inflammation, immune regulation, fibrous proliferation and neurodegeneration.  Recently, the roles of exosomes have shown promise as a therapeutic agent to treat these diseases. These stem cell derived particles are membrane vesicles which carry a variety of proteins that conduct cell-to-cell communication.

Exosomes are microscopic, have the benefit of high permeability and can penetrate biological barriers. Compared to stem cell therapy, exosomes may have the advantage in retinal repair by better reducing inflammation, providing neuroprotective effects on retinal ganglion cells and improving the microenvironment for optic neuron survival.