Induced pluripotent stem-cell-derived corneal epithelium for transplant surgery: a single-arm, open-label, first-inhuman interventional study in Japan
Kazuichi Maruyama, Atsushi Watanabe, Kohji Nishida, Masaki Nomura, Kayo Takashima, R&d Division, Topcon Corporation, Japan Tokyo, Mao Phd, Andrew J Quantock, Takeshi Soma, Yoshinori Oie, Hiroshi Takayanagi, Shoko Matsubara, Tomomi Yamada, Yu Yoshinaga, Zaixing Mao, Ryuhei Hayashi
Background The loss of corneal epithelial stem cells from the limbus at the edge of the cornea has severe consequences for vision, with the pathological manifestations of a limbal stem-cell deficiency (LSCD) difficult to treat. Here, to the best of our knowledge, we report the world's first use of corneal epithelial cell sheets derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) to treat LSCD. Methods This non-randomised, single-arm, clinical study involved four eyes of four patients with LSCD at the