Written from the studies on PubMed, searched on 2026. nov. 11.. Every number below comes from a study listed under Sources.
The claim
Posts online say that stem cell treatment helps with diabetic eye disease.
Where research stands
We found 65 published papers on stem cell treatment and diabetic eye disease. They were published between 2005 and 2026. 1 of them is a study in people. 1 of them compared people who got it with a group that did not. 24 were studies in animals, and 4 were only in cells in the lab. 27 papers are reviews that sum up other studies. 2 papers were retracted. 3 new studies in people are running or will start soon, says the trial register ClinicalTrials.gov.
- 1In people1 with a comparison group
- 24In animals
- 4Only in the lab
What the studies found
We have not summed up these studies in words yet. The most important papers are listed under Sources.
Verdict
Stem cell treatment has been tested in randomised trials in people with diabetic eye disease.
What this means for you: A study in people is not proof that it helps you. Do not stop or change your medicines because of it. Ask your doctor before you start taking it.
Sources
- Fenofibrate increases circulating haematopoietic stem cells in people with diabetic retinopathy: a randomised, placebo-controlled trial.2021 · Diabetologia · Randomised trial
- Hydrogel-based delivery of MSCs and derivatives for improved diabetic retinopathy therapy.2026 · Stem Cell Res Ther · Review
- Future Directions in Diabetic Retinopathy Treatment: Stem Cell Therapy, Nanotechnology, and PPARα Modulation.2025 · J Clin Med · Review
- Human amniotic epithelial stem cells, a potential therapeutic approach for diabetes and its related complications.2025 · Hum Cell · Review
- Stem Cell-Derived Exosomes: Natural Intercellular Messengers with Versatile Mechanisms for the Treatment of Diabetic Retinopathy.2024 · Int J Nanomedicine · Review
- Stem cells and diabetic retinopathy: From models to treatment.2023 · Mol Biol Rep · Review
- The potential of stem cell therapy to tackle visual impairment.2023 · J Pak Med Assoc · Review
- Adipose-derived stem cell-derived exosomes suppress NLRP3 inflammasome-mediated microglial pyroptosis by activating the Nrf2/HO-1 pathway to protect against retinal ganglion cell injury in diabetic retinopathy.2026 · J Transl Med · In animals
- Integrated Bioinformatics and Explainable Machine Learning Analyses Reveal Mesenchymal Stem Cell Exosome-Related Biomarkers for Diabetic Retinopathy.2026 · J Ocul Pharmacol Ther · In animals
- Engineering Placental Mesenchymal Stem Cells with PEDF for Retinal Protection in Diabetic Retinopathy.2026 · Antioxidants (Basel) · In animals
- Everolimus suppresses glucose transporter 3 membrane trafficking to improve therapeutic efficacy of umbilical cord blood-derived mesenchymal stem cell transplantation in diabetic retinopathy.2026 · Cell Death Dis · In animals
- Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cell-Derived Exosomal Let-7b-5p Reduces High Glucose-Induced Microglial Activation and Inflammation Through TLR4/ATF4.2026 · Mediators Inflamm · In animals
- Intravenous delivery of mesenchymal stromal cells reverses Müller cell endoplasmic reticulum stress in diabetic retinopathy.2025 · Stem Cell Res Ther · In animals
- Molecular Mechanisms and Therapeutic Implications of Human Pericyte-like Adipose-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells in an In Vitro Model of Diabetic Retinopathy.2024 · Int J Mol Sci · In the lab
- Effects of High Glucose Concentration on Pericyte-Like Differentiated Human Adipose-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells.2021 · Int J Mol Sci · In the lab
- Reproducing diabetic retinopathy features using newly developed human induced-pluripotent stem cell-derived retinal Müller glial cells.2021 · Glia · In the lab
- Generation of three induced pluripotent stem cell lines from type 2 diabetic patients with ocular complications.2020 · Stem Cell Res · In the lab
- Mesenchymal Stem Cell Exosomal miR-146a Mediates the Regulation of the TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB Signaling Pathway in Inflammation due to Diabetic Retinopathy.2022 · Comput Math Methods Med · RetractedRetracted
- Administration of Melatonin in Diabetic Retinopathy Is Effective and Improves the Efficacy of Mesenchymal Stem Cell Treatment.2022 · Stem Cells Int · RetractedRetracted
- RETRACTION: Administration of Melatonin in Diabetic Retinopathy Is Effective and Improves the Efficacy of Mesenchymal Stem Cell Treatment.2026 · Stem Cells Int · Other paper
- Intraocular Concentration of Stem Cell Factor/c-KIT and Galectin-1 in Retinal Diseases.2024 · Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci · Other paper
- Retracted: Mesenchymal Stem Cell Exosomal miR-146a Mediates the Regulation of the TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB Signaling Pathway in Inflammation due to Diabetic Retinopathy.2023 · Comput Math Methods Med · Other paper
- Protective Effects of Human Pericyte-like Adipose-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells on Human Retinal Endothelial Cells in an In Vitro Model of Diabetic Retinopathy: Evidence for Autologous Cell Therapy.2023 · Int J Mol Sci · Other paper
