Mesenchymal stem cells(MSCs) are well-known for their multipotent and widely used in researches such as tissue repair and cell replacement therapy.The use of MSCs to differentiate into retinal cells could be a promising way for the treatment of some irreversible retinal diseases.Moreover,the recent advances in MSCs research have shown that MSCs could enhance the viability of neurons under a pathological circumstance by secreting some neurotropins.There are also researches on the neuroprotection of MSCs in retinal diseases.Therefore,this could be an alternative for the use of MSCs in retinal diseases.Here we make a brief review on the characteristics of MSCs and the utility of it in retinal disease.