Macular Degeneration & Vision: cell-therapy evidence by therapy class
Across every stem-cell intervention, ClinicalTrials.gov holds 44 registered records for Macular Degeneration & Vision — 8 recruiting, 0 at Phase 3 or 4, in 15 countries. Snapshot 2026-08-29.
The condition, and why cells are proposed
Age-related macular degeneration destroys retinal pigment epithelium and photoreceptors. Replacement of RPE from pluripotent sources is one of the most technically advanced cell programmes anywhere, with surgical delivery and detailed imaging endpoints. It is also an area where unregulated intravitreal injections have caused documented severe vision loss.
Therapy classes side by side
| Therapy class | Registered | Recruiting | Phase 3/4 | Countries |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MSC | 4 | 2 | 0 | 6 |
| HSCT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| exosomes | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| PRP | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
Counts come from separate registry queries per class; a study testing two interventions can appear in more than one row, so rows do not sum to the all-interventions total.
Geography of the research
United States accounts for about 49% of country mentions among sampled studies; 15 countries host at least one site.
| Country | Studies with a site there |
|---|---|
| United States | 20 |
| United Kingdom | 5 |
| China | 4 |
| South Korea | 3 |
| Brazil | 2 |
| Israel | 2 |
| Poland | 2 |
| Spain | 1 |
The largest registered studies
Sorted by planned enrolment — size is not quality, but a 300-participant trial can answer questions a 12-participant series cannot.
| Study | Phase | Status | Planned n | Lead sponsor | Start |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NCT04270604 — Biological Sample Collection for Research and Biobanking | n/a | Terminated | 1,279 | New York Stem Cell Foundation Research Institute | 2012-02-06 |
| NCT01432847 — Cell Collection to Study Eye Diseases | n/a | Recruiting | 930 | National Eye Institute (NEI) | 2011-09-07 |
| NCT03011541 — Stem Cell Ophthalmology Treatment Study II | n/a | Recruiting | 500 | MD Stem Cells | 2016-01 |
| NCT01920867 — Stem Cell Ophthalmology Treatment Study | n/a | Unknown | 300 | MD Stem Cells | 2012-08 |
| NCT03372746 — Generation of Induced Pluripotent Stem (iPS) Cell Lines From Skin Fibroblast Cells of Participants With Age-Related Macular Degeneration | n/a | Completed | 187 | National Eye Institute (NEI) | 2018-05-23 |
| NCT00874783 — Development of IPS from Donated Somatic Cells of Patients with Neurological Diseases | n/a | Recruiting | 120 | Hadassah Medical Organization | 2009-04 |
Most recently registered
| Study | Phase | Status | Planned n | Lead sponsor | Start |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NCT05991986 — Preparation of Patient Autologous Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-derived Retinal Cells for AMD | n/a | Not Yet Recruiting | n/a | Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University | 2025-08 |
| NCT06394232 — Safety & Efficacy of Eyecyte-RPE™ in Patients With Geographic Atrophy Secondary to Dry Age-related Macular Degeneration. | n/a | Recruiting | n/a | Eyestem Research Pvt. Ltd. | 2024-06-04 |
| NCT03102138 — Retinal Pigment Epithelium Safety Study for Patients in B4711001 | n/a | Active Not Recruiting | n/a | Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust | 2024-04-16 |
| NCT05445063 — Safety and Efficacy of Autologous Transplantation of iPSC-RPE in the Treatment of Macular Degeneration | n/a | Recruiting | n/a | Beijing Tongren Hospital | 2022-08 |
| NCT04627428 — Safety and Tolerability of RPE Stem Cell-derived RPE(RPESC-RPE) Transplantation in Patients With Dry Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) | n/a | Recruiting | n/a | Luxa Biotechnology, LLC | 2022-04-05 |
Reading this honestly
These figures describe effort, not outcome. Published results, with their control arms and endpoints, are where benefit is decided. For Macular Degeneration & Vision specifically, the practical question is which registered study — if any — matches the product a provider is offering, and what its outcome measures actually are.
Frequently asked
How many stem-cell trials exist for Macular Degeneration & Vision?
44 registered records mention a stem-cell intervention for this condition (2026-08-29 snapshot), of which 8 were recruiting.
Which therapy class is furthest along for Macular Degeneration & Vision?
Ranked by Phase 3/4 records: PRP (1), MSC (0), HSCT (0), exosomes (0).
Does a recruiting trial mean I can be treated?
No. Trials have eligibility criteria, and joining one is not the same as buying a treatment. Paying a clinic for an unproven intervention outside a registered study gives you neither the protections nor the data collection of a trial.
Registry and literature counts retrieved 2026-08-29 (ClinicalTrials.gov API v2; PubMed E-utilities). Registration or publication volume measures research activity, not effectiveness or approval. Educational information — not medical advice; verify product, indication, legal pathway and evidence with an independent qualified physician. Page generated 2026-08-29. See our editorial standards.
Download the query data
Query totals are full API matches; status, phase and country counts describe the first up to 400 returned records per query. Query classes overlap and must not be summed as unique trials. Counts are not treatment outcomes. Snapshot: 2026-08-29. Methods and field definitions.