Background  To report normal variations of the limbal structures using in vivo laser scanning confocal microscopy. Methods: This was a retrospective study of fourteen eyes from 11 healthy individuals. Confocal imaging of cornea and limbus was performed using Heidelberg Retina Tomograph III Rostock Corneal Module. Results: The typical structure of the palisades of Vogt (POV) was detected ...

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES Cultivated limbal stem cell transplantation is being used as a current treatment modality for limbal stem cell deficiency. However, use of allogenic biological material as substrate is associated with risks of transmission of certain diseases and allograft rejection. Therefore development of non-toxic biodegradable synthetic polymers is important. We undertook this study...

background: the aim of this study is to create an ex vivo model to examine the expression of two heat shock protein 70 (hsp70) family members, heat shock protein 72 (hsp72) and heat shock constitute protein 70 (hsc70), at the mrna and protein levels in differentiating corneal cells from air exposed limbal stem cells. materials and methods: limbal biopsies were cultured as explants on a cellular...

The corneal epithelium is maintained by a small pool of tissue stem cells located at the limbus. Through certain injuries or diseases this pool of stem cells may get depleted. This leads to visual impairment. Standard treatment options include autologous or allogeneic limbal stem cell (LSC) transplantation, however graft rejection and chronic inflammation lowers the success rate over long time....

Anterior segment stem cell technology, due to its already well-defined corneal limbal stem cells with greater ease of evaluation, has been at the forefront of ophthalmic stem cell treatment and technology since 1997. This paper provides an overview of the current standard of care for treatment of limbal stem-cell deficient conditions and reviews recent treatment technologies using ex vivo expan...

PURPOSE To reconstruct a human hemicornea in vitro by means of limbal stem cells cultured onto human keratoplasty lenticules (HKLs) and to obtain a natural corneal graft for clinical applications. METHODS Limbal stem cells were seeded onto HKLs with or without the presence of feeder layers of lethally irradiated 3T3-J2 cells and compared with the current "gold standard" scaffold, i.e., the fi...

purpose: to evaluate the properties of cultured limbal stem cells for corneal surface reconstruction. methods: specimens of limbal explants were prepared from the eye bank of i.r. iran. the explants were cultured and expanded on acellular amniotic membrane for 21 days. the cultured cells were evaluated for expression of connexin 43 and keratinine k3 by immunocytochemistry and expression of k12 ...

BACKGROUND/AIMS Limbal allotransplantation is increasingly being used for ocular surface repair in patients with limbal stem cell dysfunction. However, it is uncertain whether donor cells survive long term on the ocular surface and whether patients maintain the early benefits of the procedure. The aims of this study were to investigate the long term outcome of clinical limbal allografts and to ...

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES Sources of autologous tissue that can functionally replace the corneal epithelium have been considered as an alternative to allogenous limbal transplants for limbal stem cells deficiency (LSCD). The aim of the present study was to compare the characterization of oral mucosa with limbal epithelial cells by markers using reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-...

PURPOSE The management of severe ocular surface disease due to limbal stem cell deficiency has changed dramatically. The concept of limbal stem cells, as the source of corneal epithelium revolutionised the therapeutic approach of ocular surface reconstruction. Deficiency of limbal stem cells results in blinding ocular surface diseases. Grafting viable limbal tissue, from either fellow healthy e...