Injectable corneal endothelial cell therapy: recent progress, translational barriers, and future directions
Mohammed G., Tayyab MA., Hussain J., AlDhib R., Sherwani MRK., Abbas J.
Clinical Trial, published in Front Ophthalmol (Lausanne) (2026) — summary generated from the PubMed abstract.
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
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
- Clinical Trial
- Journal
- Front Ophthalmol (Lausanne) (2026)
- Reported sample size
- —
- Source database
- Europe PMC
- PMID
- 42183087
- PMCID
- PMC13193997
- DOI
- 10.3389/fopht.2026.1799892
Abstract (original English)
Introduction Corneal endothelial dysfunction, most commonly caused by Fuchs endothelial corneal dystrophy (FECD) or pseudophakic bullous keratopathy (PBK), leads to stromal edema and corneal decompensation when endothelial cell density (ECD) falls below 500-700cells/mm². Standard treatment via corneal transplantation, including Descemet stripping automated endothelial keratoplasty (DSAEK) and Descemet membrane endothelial keratoplasty (DMEK), is limited by the need to standardize corneal endothelial cell culture, donor shortages, immune rejection, and technical complications.This review aims to summarize recent advances in injectable corneal endothelial cell (CEC) therapy, critically appraise translational challenges, and discuss future directions for establishing this regenerative approach as a global treatment. Design Narrative review of pre-clinical and clinical studies examining CEC injection therapy. Methods Relevant literature was analyzed to evaluate innovations in Human corneal endothelial cells (HCEC) preparation, culture techniques, delivery methods, and strategies to enhance cell adhesion and survival. Studies reporting preclinical models and human clinical trials were included to assess safety, efficacy, and translational feasibility. Results Corneal endothelial cells (CEC) injections have achieved significant advancement since their development. Simple cultured CEC
What this study does not prove
- • This study does not prove SVF is an approved treatment or a replacement for standard care.
Evidence level
Several human studies show positive signals, while research methods and sample sizes continue to develop.
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