Retinitis pigmentosa, a kind of retinal degenerative disorder, is seen to be a progressive pathogenic process on the aspect of photoreceptor cells making the vision deteriorate progressively and end up in absolute blindness. Over the years, the management of RP has involved a multifaceted approach right from the correct diagnosis of the disease to an exclusive treatment. Yemen is also developing its healthcare system, therefore, knowing the procedure starting from the diagnosis to treatment, especially with such advanced treatment as stem cell therapy, is important to enhance patient survival.
Initial Diagnosis of Retinitis Pigmentosa in Yemen
- Clinical Evaluation: The diagnosis of RP is carried out with the help of the clinical examination of the patient. Some of the signs that the patients may exhibit include; difficulty in seeing at night, loss of peripheral vision or generally poor vision particularly in the dark.
- Fundus Examination: An assessment technique used in diagnosis is a fundus examination done after dilation. In this process, the ophthalmologist influences different instruments so as to look for certain features of RP, as well as staining of the fundus and narrowing of retinal vessels.
- Electroretinography (ERG): To assess the function of the retina an ERG is carried out. This test records the electrical activity of the retina after the stimulation with light and allows the evaluation of photoreceptor cells.
- Genetic Testing: Since RP is a hereditary disorder, genetic tests are very essential in the diagnosis and determination of the type of mutation present.
Assessment and Monitoring
- Visual Field Testing: A visual field test is done on the patient to determine the extent of damage to the patient’s peripheral vision.
Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT): OCT supplies the cross-sectional image of the retina due to which layers of the retina can be visualized in detail.
- Retinal Imaging: Additional imaging analysis can also be made using FAF and wide-field retinal imaging in order to uncover further details of the patient’s retinal status.
Treatment Options
- Traditional Management: Unfortunately, there is no cure for RP, so the traditional approach is to stabilize the decline of the patient’s condition and keep as much vision as possible in the patient’s eye. This includes Low Vision Aids, Vitamin A Supplementation, and Gene Therapy.
Stem Cell Therapy to treat RP in Yemen
Stem cell therapy is one of the emerging therapeutic approaches in RP management. The process typically involves:
Stem Cell Harvesting: The source of stem cells can be the patient’s own bone marrow or adipose tissue or iPSC derived from the patient’s cells.
Cell Culturing and Preparation: The stem cells that are harvested are cultured and prepared in highly clinical setting laboratories. In the case of iPSCs, cells are taken and altered to return to their state of being pluripotent and then transformed toward retinal cells.
Retinal Transplantation: These stem cells are, prepared and transplanted into the retina of the eye affected by the degeneration. This can entail direct implantation of stem cells to the affected retinal tissue or the use of matrices to help the cells to engraft and function.
Post-Treatment Monitoring: Generally, patients have routine check-ups to evaluate the stem cells’ engraftment status, determine the sight enhancements, and address adverse reactions after the transplantation process.
Conclusion
At StemCellCure, we aim to assist patients during this process as well as provide the most up-to-date development on stem cell treatment to improve the standard of living for patients dealing with retinitis pigmentosa treatment in Yemen.