Approaches for corneal endothelium regenerative medicine

Pere Català, Gilles Thuret, Heli Skottman, Jodhbir S Mehta, Mohit Parekh, Sorcha Ní Dhubhghaill, Rob W J Collin, Rudy M M A Nuijts, Stefano Ferrari, Vanessa L S LaPointe, Mor M Dickman*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal(Systematic) Review article peer-review

Abstract

The state of the art therapy for treating corneal endothelial disease is transplantation. Advances in the reproducibility and accessibility of surgical techniques are increasing the number of corneal transplants, thereby causing a global deficit of donor corneas and leaving 12.7 million patients with addressable visual impairment. Approaches to regenerate the corneal endothelium offer a solution to the current tissue scarcity and a treatment to those in need. Methods for generating corneal endothelial cells into numbers that could address the current tissue shortage and the possible strategies used to deliver them have now become a therapeutic reality with clinical trials taking place in Japan, Singapore and Mexico. Nevertheless, there is still a long way before such therapies are approved by regulatory bodies and become clinical practice. Moreover, acellular corneal endothelial graft equivalents and certain drugs could provide a treatment option for specific disease conditions without the need of donor tissue or cells. Finally, with the emergence of gene modulation therapies to treat corneal endothelial disease, it would be possible to treat presymptomatic patients or those presenting early symptoms, drastically reducing the need for donor tissue. It is necessary to understand the most recent developments in this rapidly evolving field to know which conditions could be treated with which approach. This article provides an overview of the current and developing regenerative medicine therapies to treat corneal endothelial disease and provides the necessary guidance and understanding towards the treatment of corneal endothelial disease.

Original languageEnglish
Article number100987
Number of pages29
JournalProgress in Retinal and Eye Research
Volume87
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Mar 2022

Keywords

  • CARRIER MATRIX
  • Cell therapy
  • Corneal endothelial disease
  • DESCEMET MEMBRANE
  • DIRECTED DIFFERENTIATION
  • EMBRYONIC STEM-CELLS
  • Gene therapy
  • IN-VITRO
  • PENETRATING KERATOPLASTY
  • Pharmacological modulation
  • RHO-KINASE INHIBITOR
  • ROCK INHIBITOR
  • Regenerative medicine
  • SHEET TRANSPLANTATION
  • Tissue engineering
  • VIRAL VECTORS

Cite this