Corneal regeneration: Current status and future prospective

Abstract

The human comea is an avascular and transparent tissue which is responsible for the three-fourths of the total refractive power of the eye. It undergoes continuous stress due to the dust, pollution, infection and other environmental insults which may lead to dryness and abrasion injuries. Diseases of the cornea show wide spectrum of manifestations including corneal opacity, conjunctivalization, scarring, limbal stem cell deficiency and immune disorders and may result in blindness. The field of regenerative medicine has shown a great promise in the last two decades. Almost 30 years have been passed since the corneal epithelial stem cells were first reported to be localized in the limbus, a transition zone between the transparent cornea and opaque sclera. During these years, various efforts have been made for the corneal regeneration, including the cell and tissue engineering- based approaches and development of surgical modalities. However, a successful therapy for bilateral corneal diseases remains elusive. We put in here our perspective about the past, the present and the foreseeable future of regeneration and reconstruction of the human cornea.