SVF
Level D· Preclinical EvidenceAnimal Study

Bone marrow-versus adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells for corneal failure in an experimental model of limbal stem cell deficiency.

Galindo S., López-Paniagua M., Mata A., Herreras JM., García-Vázquez C., Marceñido B.

Animal Study on Face & Skin, published in Exp Eye Res (2026) — summary generated from the PubMed abstract.

This page is generated from the PubMed record. The Thai description is an automated summary of bibliographic fields and the abstract, not a full translation, and is not medical advice.

Study type
Animal Study
Journal
Exp Eye Res (2026)
Country
England
Reported sample size
—
PMID
41207521
DOI
10.1016/j.exer.2025.110737

Abstract (original English)

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

What this study does not prove

  • • This study does not prove SVF is an approved treatment or a replacement for standard care.
  • • This is preclinical work; animal or laboratory results cannot be applied to humans.

Evidence level

Evidence comes from animal or laboratory studies and has not been confirmed in humans.

How we grade evidence
RabbitsAnimalsLimbus CorneaeDisease Models, AnimalAdipose TissueCorneal DiseasesMesenchymal Stem CellsMesenchymal Stem Cell TransplantationHumansCells, Cultured
Face & Skin
View on PubMedDOI

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