4 New strategies in the barcelona eye bank to minimize the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Since the start of the pandemic, the tissue donation in Catalonia (Spain) has decreased drastically. At the beginning of the lockdown (from March to May 2020) there was a drop of around 70% in donation of corneas and of approximately 90% in donation of placentas. Despite the fast updating of standard operating procedures, we had big difficulties in different points.

38 Lyophilized amniotic membrane for pterygium surgery: long-term outcomes.

Purpose: To investigate the tolerability, security and long-term efficacy of lyophilized amniotic membrane (LAM) as an alternative to cryopreserved amniotic membrane in pterygium surgery.

Material And Methods: Prospective case series of patients with primary nasal pterygium who undergone pterygium surgery and LAM implant either with sutures or glue. Postoperative follow-up was until month 24.

30 A new step on amniotic membrane extract eye drops (AMEED) development for the treatment of severe ocular surface pathologies.

Introduction: Our tissue establishment developed a protocol for processing amniotic membranes as extracts to be re-hydrated and administered topically as eye drops, becoming a new approach to treat severe ocular surface pathologies. From 2015 to 2017 the safety and efficacy of the amniotic membrane extract eye drops (AMEED) were assessed in patients with severe ocular surface pathologies through clinical follow-up of ocular surface symptoms before and after regular application of the extract.Between 2018 and 2019 a study of 36 patients (50 eyes) treated with topical AMEED was conducted comparing 2 groups of patients: Dry Eye Disease (DED) and Wound Healing Delay (WHD) showing global similar symptomatic improvement in both groups (DED 88.

Lyophilized amniotic membrane graft for primary pterygium surgery: preliminary results.

The aim of this study was to investigate the tolerability, safety and efficacy of new lyophilized amniotic membrane (LAM) presentation for ocular use. A prospective case-series cohort of four patients with primary nasal pterygium which undergone excision and LAM implantation was evaluated for complications and clinical outcomes. Surgical manipulation of LAM was also assessed.

Amniotic membrane extract eye drops: a new approach to severe ocular surface pathologies.

A protocol for processing amniotic membrane as an extract to be re-hydrated and administered topically as eye drops (amniotic membrane extract eye drops, AMEED) has been developed. Safety and efficacy of AMEED was assessed in patients with severe ocular surface pathologies. prospective clinical follow-up of ocular surface symptoms before and after regular application of the AMEED for at least 4 weeks on patients with severe ocular surface disorders as chronic dry eye disease, limbal stem cell deficiency, neurotrophic ulcer and permanent and disabling symptomatology that were refractory to conventional treatment.

Priming human adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells for corneal surface regeneration.

Limbal stem cells (LSC) maintain the transparency of the corneal epithelium. Chemical burns lead the loss of LSC inducing an up-regulation of pro-inflammatory and pro-angiogenic factors, triggering corneal neovascularization and blindness. Adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells (AT-MSC) have shown promise in animal models to treat LSC deficiency (LSCD), but there are not studies showing their efficacy when primed with different media before transplantation.

Amniotic membrane extract eye drops for ocular surface diseases: use and clinical outcome in real-world practice.

Purpose: To study the indications and clinical outcomes, in a real-word setting, of amniotic membrane extract eye drops (AMEED) use for ocular surface disease (OSD).

Methods: A retrospective study of patients treated with topical AMEED between January 2018 and January 2020 was conducted. Patients were classified in two groups according to specific OSD-dry eye disease (DED) and wound healing delay (WHD) groups.

Xenofree generation of limbal stem cells for ocular surface advanced cell therapy.

Background: Limbal stem cells (LSC) sustain the corneal integrity and homeostasis. LSC deficiency (LSCD) leads to loss of corneal transparency and blindness. A clinical approach to treat unilateral LSCD comprises autologous cultured limbal epithelial stem cell transplantation (CLET).

Limbal Stem Cells from Aged Donors Are a Suitable Source for Clinical Application.

Limbal stem cells (LSC) are the progenitor cells that maintain the transparency of the cornea. Limbal stem cell deficiency (LSCD) leads to corneal opacity, inflammation, scarring, and blindness. A clinical approach to treat this condition consists in LSC transplantation (LSCT) after expansion of LSC.

Potential Role of Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (IPSCs) for Cell-Based Therapy of the Ocular Surface.

The integrity and normal function of the corneal epithelium are crucial for maintaining the cornea's transparency and vision. The existence of a cell population with progenitor characteristics in the limbus maintains a dynamic of constant epithelial repair and renewal. Currently, cell-based therapies for bio replacement-cultured limbal epithelial transplantation (CLET) and cultured oral mucosal epithelial transplantation (COMET)-present very encouraging clinical results for treating limbal stem cell deficiency (LSCD) and restoring vision.

Dye solutions based on lutein and zeaxanthin: in vitro and in vivo analysis of ocular toxicity profiles.

Purpose: To study the safety profile of Lutein/Zeaxanthin(L/Z)-based natural dye solutions in in vitro and in vivo models.

Material And Methods: In vitro cytotoxicity and cellular growth experiments were carried out on ARPE-19 and human corneal epithelial (HCE) cell lines using different L/Z-based dye solutions, either alone or in association with brilliant blue (BB) or trypan blue (TB). Light and transmission electron microscopy studies were performed seven days after intravitreal injection of dye solutions in rabbits.

Progenitor cells for ocular surface regenerative therapy.

The integrity and normal function of the corneal epithelium are essential for maintaining the cornea's transparency and vision. The existence of a cell population with progenitor characteristics in the limbus maintains a dynamic of constant epithelial repair and renewal. Currently, cell-based therapies for bio-replacement, such as cultured limbal epithelial transplantation and cultured oral mucosal epithelial transplantation, present very encouraging clinical results for treating limbal stem cell deficiencies.

Characterization of ocular surface epithelial and progenitor cell markers in human adipose stromal cells derived from lipoaspirates.

Purpose: The goal of this study was to characterize and compare mesenchymal stem cells from adult human adipose tissue (ADS cells) with progenitor cell lines from the human corneoscleral limbus and to analyze their potential for the expression of epithelial markers.

Methods: Stem cell markers (CD34, CD90, p63, and ABCG2) and epithelial cell markers (CK3/76, CK12, CK76, CK19, and CK1/5/10/14) were analyzed by immunostaining, flow cytometry, Western blot analysis, and PCR methods. The authors assayed adhesion and proliferation on different extracellular matrix proteins.