A Comparative Study of the Therapeutic Potential of Mesenchymal Stem Cells and Limbal Epithelial Stem Cells for Ocular Surface Reconstruction

• Published in: Stem cells translational medicine 2015-09, Vol.4 (9), p.1052-1063
• Main Authors: Holan, Vladimir, Trosan, Peter, Cejka, Cestmir, Javorkova, Eliska, Zajicova, Alena, Hermankova, Barbora, Chudickova, Milada, Cejkova, Jitka
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adipocytes - cytology; Adipocytes - physiology; Adipose Tissue - cytology; Adipose Tissue - physiology; Alkali-injured ocular surface; Animals; Antibiotics; Biomarkers - metabolism; Bone healing; Bone marrow; Bone Marrow Cells - cytology; Bone Marrow Cells - physiology; Burns, Chemical - pathology; Burns, Chemical - therapy; Cell Differentiation; Cell Proliferation; Cell- and Tissue-Based Therapy - methods; Cornea; Corneal regeneration; Epithelial Cells - cytology; Epithelial Cells - physiology; Epithelial Cells - transplantation; Epithelium, Corneal - blood supply; Epithelium, Corneal - injuries; Female; Gene Expression; Grants; Injuries; Limbal stem cells; Limbus Corneae - blood supply; Limbus Corneae - injuries; Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplantation; Mesenchymal stem cells; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells - cytology; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells - physiology; Mesenchyme; Neovascularization, Physiologic; Penicillin; Primary Cell Culture; Rabbits; Re-Epithelialization - physiology; Stem cell-based therapy; Stem cells; Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine; Tissue Scaffolds
• ISSN: 2157-6564; 2157-6580
• DOI: 10.5966/sctm.2015-0039

Growth, differentiation, and secretory properties of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and limbal epithelial stem cells (LSCs) were compared and their therapeutic potential characterized in a rabbit model of eye injury. Results show that MSCs from bone marrow had a therapeutic effect on healing of the injured corneal surface comparable to that of tissue‐specific LSCs. Stem cell‐based therapy has become an attractive and promising approach for the treatment of severe injuries or thus‐far incurable diseases. However, the use of stem cells is often limited by a shortage of available tissue‐specific stem cells; therefore, other sources of stem cells are being investigated and tested. In this respect, mesenchymal stromal/stem cells (MSCs) have proven to be a promising stem cell type. In the present study, we prepared MSCs from bone marrow (BM‐MSCs) or adipose tissue (Ad‐MSCs) as well as limbal epithelial stem cells (LSCs), and their growth, differentiation, and secretory properties were compared. The cells were grown on nanofiber scaffolds and transferred onto the alkali‐injured eye in a rabbit model, and their therapeutic potential was characterized. We found that BM‐MSCs and tissue‐specific LSCs had similar therapeutic effects. Clinical characterization of the healing process, as well as the evaluation of corneal thickness, re‐epithelialization, neovascularization, and the suppression of a local inflammatory reaction, were comparable in the BM‐MSC‐ and LSC‐treated eyes, but results were significantly better than in injured, untreated eyes or in eyes treated with a nanofiber scaffold alone or with a nanofiber scaffold seeded with Ad‐MSCs. Taken together, the results show that BM‐MSCs' therapeutic effect on healing of injured corneal surface is comparable to that of tissue‐specific LSCs. We suggest that BM‐MSCs can be used for ocular surface regeneration in cases when autologous LSCs are absent or difficult to obtain. Significance Damage of ocular surface represents one of the most common causes of impaired vision or even blindness. Cell therapy, based on transplantation of stem cells, is an optimal treatment. However, if limbal stem cells (LSCs) are not available, other sources of stem cells are tested. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are a convenient type of cell for stem cell therapy. The therapeutic potential of LSCs and MSCs was compared in an experimental model of corneal injury, and healing was observed following chemical injury. MSCs and tissue‐specific LSCs