Recent Updates on Treatment of Ocular Microbial Infections by Stem Cell Therapy: A Review

Abstract

Ocular microbial infection has emerged as a major public health crisis during the past two decades. A variety of causative agents can cause ocular microbial infections; which are characterized by persistent and destructive inflammation of the ocular tissue; progressive visual disturbance; and may result in loss of visual function in patients if early and effective treatments are not received. The conventional therapeutic approaches to treat vision impairment and blindness resulting from microbial infections involve antimicrobial therapy to eliminate the offending pathogens or in severe cases; by surgical methods and retinal prosthesis replacing of the infected area. In cases where there is concurrent inflammation, once infection is controlled, anti-inflammatory agents are indicated to reduce ocular damage from inflammation which ensues. Despite advances in medical research; progress in the control of ocular microbial infections remains slow. The varying level of ocular tissue recovery in individuals and the incomplete visual functional restoration indicate the chief limitations of current strategies. The development of a more extensive therapy is needed to help in healing to regain vision in patients. Stem cells are multipotent stromal cells that can give rise to a vast variety of cell types following proper differentiation protocol. Stem cell therapy shows promise in reducing inflammation and repairing tissue damage on the eye caused by microbial infections by its ability to modulate immune response and promote tissue regeneration. This article reviews a selected list of common infectious agents affecting the eye; which include fungi; viruses; parasites and bacteria with the aim of discussing the current antimicrobial treatments and the associated therapeutic challenges. We also provide recent updates of the advances in stem cells studies on sepsis therapy as a suggestion of optimum treatment regime for ocular microbial infections.

Incidence and Risk Factors of Postoperative Endophthalmitis After Primary Surgical Repair Combined With Intraocular Foreign Body Removal

“… 10 The production of virulence factors such as proteases, lipases, enterotoxins, and hemolysins by B. cereus causes endophthalmitis, retinal layer folding, and detachment within 12 hours and complete central visual loss or even entire eye loss, which often occurs within 2 days. 23 , 24 It has been reported that in posttraumatic B. cereus endophthalmitis, more than 70% of patients lost some degree of vision in the infected eye, as few as 9% of those retained a visual acuity of 20/70 or better, and 48% of patients had eyeball enucleation, making it one of the most severe forms of bacterial endophthalmitis. 10 , 20 , 25 In our study, a 6-year-old child injured by a firecracker explosion was also diagnosed with B. cereus endophthalmitis during the operation and underwent vitrectomy combined with intravitreal antibiotic (vancomycin) injection 16 hours after the injury, and finally, the visual acuity improved to 20/25.…”

Prevalence and Antibiotic Resistance Patterns of Ocular Bacterial Strains Isolated from Pediatric Patients in University Hospital of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli,” Naples, Italy

“…e study reported high rates of AMR, particularly among the Staphylococci species [17]. Ocular diseases, if not treated properly, can cause irreversible damage to the structures of the eye, leading to visual impairment and blindness [18]. Drug-resistant bacteria and the high prevalence of ocular bacterial infections in pediatric patients stress the importance of knowing the causative microorganisms and antimicrobials susceptibility profile.…”

Recent approaches to combat various infections in eye

“…Patents related to the prevention & treatment of ocular infections & novel ocular drug delivery technologies [91][92][93][94][95][96][97][98][99][100][101][102][103][104][105][106][107] are depicted in Table 3. [107]…”