Research progress on oral mucosal epithelial culture and ocular surface transplantation

Human corneal epithelial cells are continuously replenished by limbal stem cells to maintain ocular homeostasis and normal visual function.Some ocular surface injuries or diseases, such as thermochemical burns and Stevens-Johnson syndrome, can result in limbal stem cell deficiency, severely compromising patients’ visual acuity.Non-limbal autologous epithelial tissue transplantation should be considered when both eyes are affected.Oral mucosal epithelial cells are an important source of seed cells for ocular surface reconstruction.What’s more, cell sheets constructed ex vivo have achieved good results in clinical applications.This article reviews the research progress on the use of oral mucosal epithelial cells for the treatment of limbal stem cell deficiency, focusing on various factors including carriers, culture conditions, and techniques that may affect the culture of oral mucosal epithelial sheets.In addition, the strengths and weaknesses of the application of cell sheets in clinical ocular surface transplantation are also discussed, so as to provide a research direction for the safe and effective reconstruction of ocular surface epithelium.

Oral mucosal epithelial cells; Culture in vitro; Limbal stem cell deficiency; Ocular surface reconstruction