Possibilities of using a tissue-engineered construct in the treatment of limbal insufficiency and its effectiveness percentage

Relevance Currently, the approach of transplanting tissue-engineered constructs from cultured limbal stem cells (LSC) in biopolymer carriers is increasingly used. This method is necessary for patients with keratoplasty who have limbal insufficiency. Limbal insufficiency (LI) is a pathological change in the limbus zone, manifested by corneal opacity, ingrowth of conjunctiva and vessels onto the cornea, as well as decreased visual acuity [1, 2]. Corneal neovascularization is a vision-threatening condition and a pressing public health problem [3, 4]. Objective Development of an experimental LI model and evaluation of the effectiveness of transplanting a tissue-engineered construct consisting of cultured cells containing a population of LSC and a collagen carrier. Material and methods The study was performed on 12 rabbits and included 2 stages: 1 – implantation of a collagen matrix in the limbal zone, 2 – formation of tissue-engineered structures consisting of LSCs on a collagen matrix. LSCs were isolated from a biopsy specimen using a combination of the enzymatic method and the explant method. The animals were divided into 2 groups: surgical treatment (transplantation of a tissue-engineered structure) was used in the experimental group, while conservative treatment was used in the control group. Results There were no adverse reactions after implantation of a collagen matrix in the limbal zone. Complete epithelialization was observed in the experimental group 1 month after surgical treatment of the experimental model of LN. Epithelial erosion was noted in the control group. The corneal epithelialization time in the experimental group was significantly shorter than in the control group. Conclusion Transplantation of tissue-engineered construct from cultured limbal cells on collagen membrane should be considered as a promising method for treating LN. Keywords: limbal insufficiency; culturing limbal stem cells; collagen; limbal stem cells