Review
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2021. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Stem Cells. May 26, 2021; 13(5): 366-385
Published online May 26, 2021. doi: 10.4252/wjsc.v13.i5.366
Stem cell therapy in ocular pathologies in the past 20 years
Giovanni Miotti, Pier Camillo Parodi, Marco Zeppieri
Giovanni Miotti, Pier Camillo Parodi, Department of Plastic Surgery, University Hospital of Udine, Udine 33100, Italy
Marco Zeppieri, Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital of Udine, Udine 33100, Italy
Author contributions: Miotti G wrote the paper; Parodi PC assisted in the writing, editing and critically revising the manuscript; Zeppieri M was responsible for the conception and design of the study, assisted in the writing, outline, final approval of the version of the article to be published and completed the English and scientific editing.
Conflict-of-interest statement: Authors declare no conflict of interests for this article.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Marco Zeppieri, BSc, MD, PhD, Doctor, Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital of Udine, p.le SM Misericordia 15, Udine 33100, Italy. markzeppieri@hotmail.com
Received: January 22, 2021
Peer-review started: January 22, 2021
First decision: February 28, 2021
Revised: March 12, 2021
Accepted: April 26, 2021
Article in press: April 26, 2021
Published online: May 26, 2021
Processing time: 123 Days and 16 Hours
Abstract

Stem cell therapies are successfully used in various fields of medicine. This new approach of research is also expanding in ophthalmology. Huge investments, resources and important clinical trials have been performed in stem cell research and in potential therapies. In recent years, great strides have been made in genetic research, which permitted and enhanced the differentiation of stem cells. Moreover, the possibility of exploiting stem cells from other districts (such as adipose, dental pulp, bone marrow stem cells, etc.) for the treatment of ophthalmic diseases, renders this topic fascinating. Furthermore, great strides have been made in biomedical engineering, which have proposed new materials and three-dimensional structures useful for cell therapy of the eye. The encouraging results obtained on clinical trials conducted on animals have given a significant boost in the creation of study protocols also in humans. Results are limited to date, but clinical trials continue to evolve. Our attention is centered on the literature reported over the past 20 years, considering animal (the most represented in literature) and human clinical trials, which are limiting. The aim of our review is to present a brief overview of the main types of treatments based on stem cells in the field of ophthalmic pathologies.

Keywords: Stem cells; Multipotent mesenchymal cells; Adipose stem cells; Novel therapies; Eye pathology; Cornea; Cell therapies; New materials

Core Tip: Stem cell therapies have shown great potential in ophthalmopathies. Interesting results have arisen in the treatment of ocular surface diseases and for their neuroprotective effect. Stem cells can be transplanted, injected or topically applied. The main goals of treatments include preventing vision loss, restoring sight, recreating the connections with the central nervous system, and regenerating eye tissues. Recent discoveries have permitted the use of stem cells taken from other districts. From literature analysis, it is clear that stem cells can provide a potentially successful solution; however, ethical issues, costs and possible long term side effects limit the current use.