The article presents the modern treatment with stem cells in the reconstruction of ocular surface. The turnover of the stem cells, the location in the limbus areas, the importance of limbal stem cells presence, the clinical appearance of stem cell deficiency, investigations method for this illness and the management of stem cell deficiency (artificial lacrimal tear drops, mini scleral contact l...

CASE REPORT We present the case of a woman readmitted to our service to receive treatment for severe ophthalmic manifestations due to Lyell's syndrome. This intense affectation of the ocular surface along with limbal stem cell deficiency are grounds for treatment with Boston type 1 keratoprosthesis, which provided a stable and very satisfactory functional result. DISCUSSION As noted in this c...

Lesions on the ocular surface can destroy the stem cells from the limbus and cause limbal stem cell deficiency. The limbal stem cell deficiency is marked by conjunctivalization, which can be defined as the invasion of conjunctival epithelium over the cornea. This process is accompanied by varying degrees of corneal changes such as neovascularization, inflammation, recurrent erosions, persistent...

The ocular surface consists of two distinct types of epithelial cells; conjunctival and corneal. Although anatomically continuous, these epithelia comprise two distinct cell populations. Corneal stem cells are located at the limbus. The microenvironment of the limbus is important in maintaining "stemness" of the stem cells and also acts as a barrier to conjunctival epithelial cells preventing t...

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 e...

PURPOSE Transplantation of ex vivo expanded limbal epithelial progenitor cells (LEPCs) on epithelially denuded amniotic membrane (dAM) in supplemented hormonal epithelial medium (SHEM) is an alternative solution for treating corneal blindness due to limbal stem cell (SC) deficiency. Because the phenotype of limbal niche cells (NCs) is preserved better in serum-free modified embryonic stem cell ...

AIM To examine the efficacy, safety, and long term outcomes of amniotic membrane transplantation for corneal surface reconstruction in cases of partial limbal stem cell deficiency. METHODS 17 eyes of 15 patients with partial limbal stem cell deficiency underwent superficial keratectomy of the conjunctivalised corneal surface followed by amniotic membrane transplantation. Cases were followed u...

PURPOSE To investigate the etiology of corneal dysfunction in the Pax6(+/-) mouse model of aniridia-related keratopathy. METHODS Mosaic patterns of X-gal staining were compared in the corneal and limbal epithelia of female Pax6(+/-) and Pax6(+/+) littermates, age 3 to 28 weeks, hemizygous for an X-linked LacZ transgene, and Pax6(+/+), LacZ(-)<-->Pax6(+/+), LacZ(+) and Pax6(+/+), LacZ(-)<-->Pa...