2026-05-05T10:17:41Zhttps://uvadoc.uva.es/oai/request

oai:uvadoc.uva.es:10324/807652026-01-13T11:17:31Zcom_10324_40357com_10324_952com_10324_894col_10324_40358

Galindo, Sara López Paniagua, Marina De La Mata Sampedro, Ana Herreras Cantalapiedra, José María García Vázquez, Carmen Marceñido, Beatriz Rey, Esther Higuera Barón, Celia Calonge, Margarita Nieto Miguel, Teresa Producción Científica Ocular limbal stem cell deficiency (LSCD) occurs because of corneal epithelial stem cell destruction or dysfunction at the limbal niche. LSCD can cause corneal blindness, and the current therapy based on limbal stem cell transplantation is continuously improving. The aim of this work was to compare the safety and efficacy of human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) derived from bone marrow (hBM-MSCs) and adipose tissue (hAT-MSCs) when transplanted to a rabbit model of LSCD. Both hMSC types expressed the corneal and limbal epithelial cell markers CK3, CK12, ZO-1, and ABCG2 under standard culture conditions. A few hBM-MSCs expressed CK7 and E- cadherin, while hAT-MSCs expressed more CK7 but no E-cadherin. The hMSCs were seeded onto amniotic membranes and transplanted onto the ocular surface of a LSCD rabbit model. Both hMSC types were well tolerated without immunosuppression and were primarily located in the superior limbal stroma eight weeks post- transplantation. The hBM-MSC–treated group showed less superficial neovascularization, while the hAT- MSC–treated group showed less conjunctival invasion and fewer corneal stromal blood vessels. Compared to the untreated LSCD group, both hMSC-treated groups had less corneal opacity, less corneal and limbal stromal inflammation, and more corneal epithelial layers that partially recovered the corneal and limbal epithelial markers CK3, CK15, and p63. Overall, transplantation of hBM-MSCs and hAT-MSCs in a rabbit LSCD model reduced the development of corneal opacity, neovascularization, inflammation, and partially restored corneal and limbal tissue structure and epithelial cell phenotypes. Therefore, both types of hMSCs could become valid alternatives for LSCD treatment. 2025-12-18 2025-12-18 2026 info:eu-repo/semantics/article Experimental Eye Research, 2026, vol. 262, p. 110737 0014-4835 https://uvadoc.uva.es/handle/10324/80765 10.1016/j.exer.2025.110737 110737 Experimental Eye Research 262 eng https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S001448352500510X info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ © 2025 The Author(s) Atribución 4.0 Internacional Elsevier