Abstract
Purpose:
Limbal stem cell deficiency can lead to significant ocular surface morbidity and secondary loss of vision. The disease often involves dysfunction or destruction of the limbal epithelial stem cell niche. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the use of Bone-Marrow Human Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cell (BM-MSC) conditioned media for the treatment of limbal stem cell disease.
Methods:
Primary human corneal epithelial cells were treated with conditioned media of low passage and high passage BM-MSC. The corneal epithelial cells were then assessed for colony forming efficiency. Corneas of C57/Bl6 mice were debrided from limbus-to-limbus as a model of limbal stem cell deficiency. The rate of wound healing and restoration of the corneal epithelial phenotype was examined after daily topical administration of the conditioned media from BM-MSC.
Results:
Conditioned media from BM-MSC supported colony formation in human corneal epithelial cells in culture. In particular, conditioned media from higher passaged cells appeared to be superior to lower passaged BM-MSC. In vivo, following total epithelial debridement, conditioned media from higher passaged cells likewise led to faster re-epithelialization and restoration of the corneal phenotype compared to lower passaged cells.
Conclusions:
These results indicate that conditioned media from BM-MSC supports colony formation in human corneal epithelial cells in vitro and is likewise beneficial in a mechanical debridement model of limbal stem cell deficiency. Topical application of conditioned media from BM-MSC may provide a therapeutic strategy in the management of ocular surface disease. Further studies are underway to determine the specific factors in the conditioned media that contribute to this therapeutic effect.
Keywords: 482 cornea: epithelium •
721 stem cells