TY - JOUR
T1 - Clinical Applications of Corneal Cells Derived from Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells
AU - Luan, Yixin
AU - Musayeva, Aytan
AU - Kim, Jina
AU - Le Blon, Debbie
AU - van den Bogerd, Bert
AU - Dickman, Mor M
AU - LaPointe, Vanessa L S
AU - Ni Dhubhghaill, Sorcha
AU - Oellerich, Silke
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2025 by the authors.
PY - 2025/8/7
Y1 - 2025/8/7
N2 - Corneal diseases are among the leading causes of blindness worldwide and the standard treatment is the transplantation of corneal donor tissue. Treatment for cornea-related visual impairment and blindness is, however, often constrained by the global shortage of suitable donor grafts. To alleviate the shortage of corneal donor tissue, new treatment options have been explored in the last decade. The discovery of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), which has revolutionized regenerative medicine, offers immense potential for corneal repair and regeneration. Using iPSCs can provide a renewable source for generating various corneal cell types, including corneal epithelial cells, stromal keratocytes, and corneal endothelial cells. To document the recent progress towards the clinical application of iPSC-derived corneal cells, this review summarizes the latest advancements in iPSC-derived corneal cell therapies, ranging from differentiation protocols and preclinical studies to the first clinical trials, and discusses the challenges for successful translation to the clinic.
AB - Corneal diseases are among the leading causes of blindness worldwide and the standard treatment is the transplantation of corneal donor tissue. Treatment for cornea-related visual impairment and blindness is, however, often constrained by the global shortage of suitable donor grafts. To alleviate the shortage of corneal donor tissue, new treatment options have been explored in the last decade. The discovery of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), which has revolutionized regenerative medicine, offers immense potential for corneal repair and regeneration. Using iPSCs can provide a renewable source for generating various corneal cell types, including corneal epithelial cells, stromal keratocytes, and corneal endothelial cells. To document the recent progress towards the clinical application of iPSC-derived corneal cells, this review summarizes the latest advancements in iPSC-derived corneal cell therapies, ranging from differentiation protocols and preclinical studies to the first clinical trials, and discusses the challenges for successful translation to the clinic.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=105014449107&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3390/biom15081139
DO - 10.3390/biom15081139
M3 - Scientific review
C2 - 40867584
SN - 2218-273X
VL - 15
JO - Biomolecules
JF - Biomolecules
IS - 8
M1 - 1139
ER -