Six-Month Follow-up for Cultured Limbal Stem Cell Therapy
Purpose
To prove that we can grow human limbal stem cells culture, transfer it to patients with limbal stem cell defect and monitor there survival, in preparation of doing successful penetrating keratoplasty.
Methods
This is a case study for four patients with total limbal cells deficit in one eye, they were prepared for auto limbal stem cells culture by taking limbal stem cell biopsy from other eye and doing selective in vitro cell cultures for limbal stem cells on collagen sheets, using explant technique. All culters were tested for limbal stem cells marker P63 and cytokeratin 3 and 12 to prove their nature. Collagen sheetsand stem cells were implanted on corneal surface surgically after conjuctival tissue dissection from corneal surface.
Results
Patients were followed for six months by visual acuity, corneal vascularization, and stability of epithelial cells. All of them maintained intact epithelial cells for six months, one patients show significant visual improvement other three didn’t improve due to previous corneal scarring. Corneal vascularization significantly dropped in three of them, the fourth required a reculture and reimplant. One of them had a successful keratoplasty, others are waiting for keratoplasty procedure, visual results will be displayed later.
Conclusion
Cultured limbal stem cells implant might be a promising hope for patients with total limbal stem cell defect and improve their acceptance for corneal grafts.