Human conjunctival epithelium a possible source for limbal cell transplants

Cultivated human conjunctival epithelium is a promising source of autologous transplant tissue for eyes with limbal failure, a Japanese study in rabbits found.

Hidetoshi Tanioka, of Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, and colleagues evaluated the sustainability of human conjunctival epithelial cells cultivated on amniotic membrane as corneal epithelium replacements. The researchers tested the cells in rabbits with total corneal and limbal deficiencies.

At 2 weeks after transplantation, the transplanted cells remained smooth, transparent and defect-free, the researchers found. Both the cultivated cells and engrafted epithelium developed five to six layers of stratified squamous epithelium similar to the natural anatomy. The basal cells also expressed putative stem cell markers and component proteins, and the engrafted epithelium contained cytokeratins, according to the study.

The study is published in the September issue of Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science.