Science and Art of Cell-Based Ocular Surface Regeneration

Abstract

The potential cause of blindness worldwide includes diseases of the cornea, ocular surface (limbal stem cell deficiency, allergic conjunctivitis, dry eye diseases), and retinal diseases. The presence of stem cells (limbal stem cells) in the basal region of the limbus makes it an important tool for the ocular regeneration and also in maintaining the transparency of eye by replacing the corneal epithelium continuously. Various surgical modalities have been developed like cultured limbal epithelial transplantation, cultured oral mucosal epithelial transplantation, simple limbal epithelial transplantation, etc., utilizing the cell-based regenerative properties to treat limbal disorder. Cell-based therapies for ocular repair and regeneration comprise a major hope by therapies involving the mesenchymal stem cells, embryonic stem cells, and limbal stem cells for the restoration of vision in individuals whose ocular tissue has been irreversibly damaged by disease or trauma. This review explores critical needs in human disease mainly the ocular problem where cell-based therapeutics is exceptionally well suited and also the use of animal models, various artificial scaffolds, as well as advancement in clinical technique to challenge the current demand to overcome corneal blindness.

Keywords: Allograft; Animal model for ocular disorder; Autograft; Cell-based therapy; Corneal scaffold; Limbal stem cell deficiency; Limbal transplantation; Mesenchymal stem cells.