Eye Institute of Shandong First Medical University, Qingdao Eye Hospital of Shandong First Medical University, State Key Laboratory Cultivation Base, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, School of Ophthalmology, Shandong First Medical University, Qingdao 266071, China.
Eye Institute of Shandong First Medical University, Qingdao Eye Hospital of Shandong First Medical University, State Key Laboratory Cultivation Base, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, School of Ophthalmology, Shandong First Medical University, Qingdao 266071, China.
Int J Biol Macromol. 2024 Nov;280(Pt 2):135778. doi: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.135778. Epub 2024 Sep 18.
Limbal stem cell deficiency (LSCD) is a complex disease of the cornea resulting from dysfunction and/or loss of limbal stem cells (LSCs) and their niche. Most patients with LSCD cannot be treated by conventional corneal transplants because the donor tissue lacks the LSCs necessary for corneal epithelial regeneration. Successful treatment of LSCD depends on effective stem cell transplantation to the ocular surface for replenishment of the LSC reservoir. Thus, stem cell therapies employing carrier substrates for LSCs have been widely explored. Hydrogel biomaterials have many favorable characteristics, including hydrophilicity, flexibility, cytocompatibility, and optical properties suitable for the transplantation of LSCs. Therefore, due to these properties, along with the necessary signals for stem cell proliferation and differentiation, hydrogels are ideal carrier substrates for LSCD treatment. This review summarizes the use of different medical-type hydrogels in LSC transplantation from 2001 to 2024. First, a brief background of LSCD is provided. Then, studies that employed various hydrogel scaffolds as LSC carriers are highlighted to provide a multimodal strategic reference for LSCD treatment. Finally, an analysis of prospective future developments and challenges in the field of hydrogels as LSC carriers for treating LSCD is presented.
角膜缘干细胞缺乏症（LSCD）是一种复杂的角膜疾病，源于角膜缘干细胞（LSCs）及其龛位的功能障碍和/或丧失。大多数 LSCD 患者不能通过传统的角膜移植治疗，因为供体组织缺乏角膜上皮再生所需的 LSCs。LSCD 的成功治疗取决于有效将干细胞移植到眼表面，以补充 LSC 储备。因此，广泛探索了利用载体基质进行 LSCs 的干细胞疗法。水凝胶生物材料具有许多优良特性，包括亲水性、柔韧性、细胞相容性和适合 LSCs 移植的光学特性。因此，由于这些特性以及干细胞增殖和分化所需的必要信号，水凝胶是 LSCD 治疗的理想载体基质。本综述总结了 2001 年至 2024 年期间不同医用水凝胶在 LSC 移植中的应用。首先，简要介绍了 LSCD 的背景。然后，重点介绍了将各种水凝胶支架用作 LSC 载体的研究，为 LSCD 治疗提供了多模式战略参考。最后，分析了作为治疗 LSCD 的 LSC 载体的水凝胶领域的未来发展和挑战的前景。
