Abstract: Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is one of the leading causes of irreversible vision loss related with aging, including wet AMD and dry AMD. At present, there is still no effective treatment for dry AMD. Retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), located between the retina and the choroid, plays an important role in the survival of photoreceptor and maintenance of its physiological function. In AMD patients, the aging of RPE leads to degeneration and dysfunction of Bruch’s membrane, choroidal and photoreceptor, thus causing the loss of the retina photoreceptor cells. Since 1991, researchers have been trying various replacement therapies of RPE cells. With the development of technique for induction and differentiation of pluripotent stem cells (PSC) in vitro, the transplantation of stem cells differentiating into RPE cells is going to be a feasible strategy for replacing impaired RPE cells in AMD. This article reviewed the advances in the study of the source of RPE cells, identification of cell differentiation, transplantation and the related clinical trials in cell replacement therapy of AMD.

Key words: stem cell, retinal pigment epithelium, age-related macular degeneration