Concise review: hurdles in a successful example of limbal stem cell-based regenerative medicine

Abstract

Recent breakthroughs in regenerative medicine have generated enthusiasm and many efforts to explore new therapeutic potentials of both somatic and pluripotent stem cells. About 30 years passed since a discovery of a method of producing a great number of human epidermal keratinocytes by cultivation from a small skin biopsy, many possibilities are now envisaged for therapeutic application of different cultured cell types. The importance of stem cell content was proven for many tissues or organs in different pathologies. Ocular burns cause depletion of limbal stem cells, which lead to corneal opacification and visual loss. Most of available treatments are palliative and focused on the relief of the devastating clinical picture. This review is focused on recent developments in cell-based therapy of limbal stem cell deficiency. All findings can provide support for improvement and standardization of the cure for this disabling disease.

Keywords: Adult stem cells; Autologous stem cell transplantation; Cellular therapy; Clinical translation.