Setiawan Abdul Malik, Kamarudin Taty Anna
Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Cheras, Kuala Lumpur 56000, Malaysia.
Department of Anatomy, Maulana Malik Ibrahim State Islamic University, Malang 65144, Indonesia.
Curr Issues Mol Biol. 2024 Nov 21;46(12):13281-13295. doi: 10.3390/cimb46120792.
The limited availability of corneal tissue grafts poses significant challenges in the treatment of corneal blindness. Novel treatment utilizes stem cell grafts transplanted from the healthy side of the cornea to the damaged side. However, this procedure is only possible for those who have one-sided corneal blindness. Human stem cells offer promising potential for corneal tissue engineering, providing an alternative solution. Among the different types of stem cells, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) stand out due to their abundance and ease of isolation. Human MSCs can be derived from bone marrow, adipose, and umbilical cord tissues. Differentiating MSC toward corneal tissue can be achieved through several methods including chemical induction and co-culture with adult corneal cells such as human limbal epithelial stem cells (LESCs) and human corneal epithelial cells (hTCEpi). Adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) are the most common type of MSC that has been studied for corneal differentiation. Corneal epithelial cells are the most common corneal cell type targeted by researchers for corneal differentiation. Chemical induction with small molecules, especially bone morphogenetic protein 4 (BMP4), all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA), and epidermal growth factor (EGF), has gained more popularity in corneal epithelial cell differentiation. This review highlights the current progress in utilizing MSCs for corneal differentiation studies, showcasing their potential to revolutionize treatments for corneal blindness.
角膜组织移植物的供应有限，给角膜盲的治疗带来了重大挑战。新型治疗方法是利用从角膜健康侧移植到受损侧的干细胞移植物。然而，这种手术仅适用于单侧角膜盲患者。人类干细胞为角膜组织工程提供了有前景的潜力，提供了一种替代解决方案。在不同类型的干细胞中，间充质干细胞（MSCs）因其丰富性和易于分离而脱颖而出。人类MSCs可以从骨髓、脂肪和脐带组织中获得。通过包括化学诱导以及与成人角膜细胞如人角膜缘上皮干细胞（LESCs）和人角膜上皮细胞（hTCEpi）共培养等几种方法，可以使MSCs向角膜组织分化。脂肪来源的干细胞（ADSCs）是研究用于角膜分化的最常见类型的MSCs。角膜上皮细胞是研究人员进行角膜分化时最常靶向的角膜细胞类型。用小分子进行化学诱导，尤其是骨形态发生蛋白4（BMP4）、全反式维甲酸（ATRA）和表皮生长因子（EGF），在角膜上皮细胞分化中越来越受欢迎。本综述强调了利用MSCs进行角膜分化研究的当前进展，展示了它们彻底改变角膜盲治疗方法的潜力。
