UNILATERAL EPITHELIAL DISEASES

Corneal epithelial surface disease / injury may result from either one of the following conditions which mau lead to limbal stem cell damage.
It may be caused by

  • Keratitis sicca,
  • Xerophthalmia,
  • Chemical and thermal burns,
  • Ocular cicatricial pemphigoid,
  • Stevens-Johnson syndrome, and numerous skin diseases
  • Ulcerative Keratitis

In case of unilateral limbal stem cell deficiency or damage, NCRM has developed a new method of ocular surface reconstruction by expanding stem cells from limbus of the opposite healthy eye using Nano Polymers as a substitute for Stroma which supports the epithelial growth and subsequent transplantation. Nano Polymers supported the proliferation of epithelial cells in culture and the cells were viable. Limbal Stem Cell markers were expressed and corneal phenotype suggesting that Nano Polymers retains the stemness of the cultured cells.  Such Nano polymers overcomes problem related to the use of allogenic tissue and biological substrate. These Nano Polymers could be custom fabricated to suit each condition and could provide a ready supply of materials for clinical use and avoid poor mechanical strength and risk of immunologic rejection. Nano Polymers are non-toxic and biodegradable with adequate tensile strength.  

 

PUBLICATIONS:

  1. Sitalakshmi G, Sudha B, Madhavan HN, Vinay S, Krishnakumar S, Mori Y, Yoshioka H, Abraham S. Ex vivo cultivation of corneal limbal epithelial cells in a thermoreversible polymer (Mebiol Gel) and their transplantation in rabbits: an animal model. Tissue Eng Part A. 2009;15(2):407-15.

  2. Sudha B, Madhavan HN, Sitalakshmi G, Malathi J, Krishnakumar S, Mori Y, Yoshioka H, Abraham S. Cultivation of human corneal limbal stem cells in Mebiol gel - A thermo-reversible gelation polymer. 1. Indian J Med Res. 2006;124(6):655-64

  3. Namitha B, Chitra MR, Bhavya M, Katoh S, Yoshioka H, Iwasaki M, Senthilkumar R, Rajmohan M, Karthick R, Preethy S, Abraham SJK. A novel human donor cornea preservation cocktail incorporating a thermo-reversible gelation polymer (TGP), enhancing the corneal endothelial cell density maintenance and explant culture of corneal limbal cells . Biotechnology Letters 2021. doi:10.1007/s10529-021-03116-y

  4. Senthilkumar R, Yoshioka H, Katoh S, Iwasaki M, VSurya Prakash V, Balamurugan M, Dedeepiya VD, Preethy S, Abraham. Engraftment and proliferation of thermoreversible-gelation-polymer-encapsulated human corneal limbal-stem-cells on ocular surface of a cadaver cornea. Current Eye Research. doi: 10.1080/02713683.2023.2180039.