Regeneración de la superficie ocular: stem cells/células madre y técnicas reconstructivas

Abstract

The cornea is a transparent tissue microscopically constituted by 5 well differentiated layers. The corneal epithelium is essential for corneal transparency and is found in a state of constant renovation throughout life on the basis of the population of limbocorneal stem cells. The localisation of these limbocorneal stem cells seems to be in the basal layers of the limbocorneal epithelium, of vital importance for maintaining the micro-environment of these limbocorneal stem cells, which depend on a variety of intrinsic and extrinsic factors. Limbic insufficiency occurs when there is a partial or total loss of these limbocorneal stem cells. These clinical features lead to a corneal clouding with a resulting loss of vision. In these cases, corneal transplant only represents a temporary replacement of the corneal epithelium; it is necessary to carry out a prior treatment involving transplant of the autologous or allogeneic limbus, which enables regeneration of the population of damaged limbocorneal cells. To reduce the risk involved in the transplant of the limbus of the donor eye, techniques of cultivation of limbocorneal cells on the basis of small limbocorneal biopsies are proposed.

Estudio mediante microscopía confocal del nicho limbar en pacientes diagnosticados de síndrome de insuficiencia límbica sometidos a trasplante de células madre

“…31 Posteriormente, a la vez que van perdiendo su capacidad de proliferación y tras el descubrimiento de que las células madre del epitelio corneal se encontraban en el limbo, como ya se había sospechado, esta hipótesis quedó plenamente confirmada, siendo ese movimiento Y el desplazamiento e inicio de diferenciación de la células madre limbares hacia el epitelio basal corneal. 4,27,31,32…”