Current Landscape and Future Prospects of Corneal Regenerative Medicine

Several human studies show positive signals, while research methods and sample sizes continue to develop.

• Level A · Stronger Clinical Evidence
• Level B · Emerging clinical evidence with positive signals
• Level C · Early human research exploring benefits
• Level D · Scientific groundwork from lab and animal studies
• Emerging · Emerging topic under active research

Abstract (original English)

Corneal disorders are among the leading causes of visual impairment worldwide, with corneal transplantation historically serving as the cornerstone of surgical treatment. However, the global shortage of donor tissue, risk of immune rejection, and variable long-term graft survival underscore the urgent need for alternative approaches, particularly in the setting of ocular surface diseases such as inflammation or dry eye that can compromise graft survival. Regenerative medicine has emerged as a transformative paradigm, offering strategies to restore corneal architecture and function through cell-based therapies, tissue engineering, and gene modulation. These strategies are promising, addressing structural repair and modulating wound-healing responses. In the corneal epithelium, cultivated limbal epithelial transplantation, simple limbal epithelial transplantation, and cultivated oral mucosal epithelial transplantation have expanded therapeutic options for limbal stem cell deficiency, with clinical trials demonstrating long-term ocular surface stability. Regulatory approval of commercial products, such as Holoclar and Nepic, confirms the potential of standardized regenerative products. Stromal regeneration with stromal and mesenchymal stem cells has shown promise in preclinical and early phase clinical trials, with intrastromal stem cell injection improving corneal transparency an

Evidence level

Several human studies show positive signals, while research methods and sample sizes continue to develop.

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