UNLABELLED: 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 had similar therapeutic effects. The results suggest that bone marrow-derived MSCs can be used for ocular surface regeneration in cases when autologous LSCs are absent or difficult to obtain.

• Klíčová slova
• Alkali-injured ocular surface, Corneal regeneration, Limbal stem cells, Mesenchymal stem cells, Stem cell-based therapy,
• MeSH
• biologické markery metabolismus   MeSH
• buněčná a tkáňová terapie metody   MeSH
• buněčná diferenciace MeSH
• buňky kostní dřeně cytologie   fyziologie   MeSH
• chemické popálení patologie   terapie   MeSH
• epitelové buňky cytologie   fyziologie   transplantace   MeSH
• exprese genu MeSH
• fyziologická neovaskularizace MeSH
• králíci MeSH
• limbus corneae krevní zásobení   zranění   MeSH
• mezenchymální kmenové buňky cytologie   fyziologie   MeSH
• primární buněčná kultura MeSH
• proliferace buněk MeSH
• reepitalizace fyziologie   MeSH
• rohovkový epitel krevní zásobení   zranění   MeSH
• tkáňové podpůrné struktury MeSH
• transplantace mezenchymálních kmenových buněk * MeSH
• tuková tkáň cytologie   fyziologie   MeSH
• tukové buňky cytologie   fyziologie   MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• králíci MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• srovnávací studie MeSH
• Názvy látek
• biologické markery MeSH

Ocular surface defects represent one of the most common causes of impaired vision or even blindness. For treatment, keratoplasty represents the first choice. However, if corneal defects are more extensive and associated with a limbal stem cell (LSC) deficiency, corneal transplantation is not a sufficient therapeutic procedure and only viable approach to treatment is the transplantation of LSCs. When the LSC deficiency is a bilateral disorder, autologous LSCs are not available. The use of allogeneic LSCs requires strong immunosuppression, which leads to side-effects, and the treatment is not always effective. The alternative and perspective approach to the treatment of severe ocular surface injuries and LSC deficiency is offered by the transplantation of autologous mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). These cells can be obtained from the bone marrow or adipose tissue of the particular patient, grow well in vitro and can be transferred, using an appropriate scaffold, onto the damaged ocular surface. Here they exert beneficial effects by possible direct differentiation into corneal epithelial cells, by immunomodulatory effects and by the production of numerous trophic and growth factors. Recent experiments utilizing the therapeutic properties of MSCs in animal models with a mechanically or chemically injured ocular surface have yielded promising results and demonstrated significant corneal regeneration, improved corneal transparency and a rapid healing process associated with the restoration of vision. The use of autologous MSCs thus represents a promising therapeutic approach and offers hope for patients with severe ocular surface injuries and LSC deficiency.

• MeSH
• autologní transplantace MeSH
• biologické modely MeSH
• buněčná diferenciace MeSH
• buňky kostní dřeně cytologie   metabolismus   MeSH
• CD antigeny metabolismus   MeSH
• kultivované buňky MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mezenchymální kmenové buňky cytologie   metabolismus   MeSH
• mezibuněčné signální peptidy a proteiny metabolismus   MeSH
• nanovlákna * MeSH
• nemoci rohovky chirurgie   MeSH
• pohyb buněk MeSH
• transplantace kmenových buněk metody   MeSH
• transplantace mezenchymálních kmenových buněk metody   MeSH
• tuková tkáň cytologie   metabolismus   MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Názvy látek
• CD antigeny MeSH
• mezibuněčné signální peptidy a proteiny MeSH