Human SMILE-Derived Stromal Lenticule Scaffold for Regenerative Therapy: Review and Perspectives.
Mithun SantraYu-Chi LiuVishal JhanjiGary Hin-Fai YamPublished in: International journal of molecular sciences (2022)
A transparent cornea is paramount for vision. Corneal opacity is one of the leading causes of blindness. Although conventional corneal transplantation has been successful in recovering patients' vision, the outcomes are challenged by a global lack of donor tissue availability. Bioengineered corneal tissues are gaining momentum as a new source for corneal wound healing and scar management. Extracellular matrix (ECM)-scaffold-based engineering offers a new perspective on corneal regenerative medicine. Ultrathin stromal laminar tissues obtained from lenticule-based refractive correction procedures, such as SMall Incision Lenticule Extraction (SMILE), are an accessible and novel source of collagen-rich ECM scaffolds with high mechanical strength, biocompatibility, and transparency. After customization (including decellularization), these lenticules can serve as an acellular scaffold niche to repopulate cells, including stromal keratocytes and stem cells, with functional phenotypes. The intrastromal transplantation of these cell/tissue composites can regenerate native-like corneal stromal tissue and restore corneal transparency. This review highlights the current status of ECM-scaffold-based engineering with cells, along with the development of drug and growth factor delivery systems, and elucidates the potential uses of stromal lenticule scaffolds in regenerative therapeutics.
Keyphrases
- wound healing
- tissue engineering
- extracellular matrix
- stem cells
- cataract surgery
- optical coherence tomography
- bone marrow
- cell therapy
- growth factor
- induced apoptosis
- end stage renal disease
- gene expression
- cell cycle arrest
- endothelial cells
- chronic kidney disease
- single cell
- oxidative stress
- small molecule
- type diabetes
- weight loss
- prognostic factors
- gold nanoparticles
- metabolic syndrome
- peritoneal dialysis
- cell death
- cell proliferation
- smoking cessation
- induced pluripotent stem cells
- reduced graphene oxide