Association of Treatment Duration and Clinical Outcomes in Dry Eye Treatment with Sutureless Cryopreserved Amniotic Membrane.

Background: While sutureless, cryopreserved amniotic membrane (cAM) has been shown to significantly improve signs and symptoms of dry eye disease (DED), no studies have assessed the association of cAM treatment duration to the differential response in clinical outcomes.

Methods: A multi-center, retrospective study was conducted on patients with moderate-to-severe DED who were treated with self-retained cAM (Prokera Slim) for 2 to 7 days. The primary outcome measure was DEWS severity score assessed at 1 week, 1 month, and 3 months.

Fornix deepening reconstruction in conjunctivochalasis surgery.

Purpose: To assess the extent of inferior fornix shortening in conjunctivochalasis (CCh) and to evaluate whether fornix deepening reconstruction can restore the fornix tear reservoir in patients with CCh.

Materials And Methods: This was a retrospective review of five patients (3 unilateral and 2 bilateral eyes, total 7 eyes) with CCh who underwent fornix deepening reconstruction with conjunctival recession and amniotic membrane transplantation. Postsurgical outcome measures included changes in fornix depth with correlation to basal tear volumes, symptoms, corneal staining, and conjunctival inflammation.

Intra-Articular Injection of Amniotic Membrane and Umbilical Cord Particulate for the Management of Moderate to Severe Knee Osteoarthritis.

Objective: To evaluate the long-term benefit of a single injection of amniotic membrane/umbilical cord (AM/UC) particulate in patients with moderate to severe knee osteoarthritis (OA).

Methods: A single-center, investigator-initiated, retrospective study of patients who received intra-articular injection of 100 mg lyophilized and micronized AM/UC for radiographically confirmed, Kellgren-Lawrence (KL) grade 3 or 4 symptomatic knee OA. Data regarding demographics, OA severity, comorbidities, treatment regimens, complications, and patient-reported outcomes were collected and assessed.

Niche regulation of limbal epithelial stem cells: HC-HA/PTX3 as surrogate matrix niche.

Homeostasis of the corneal epithelium is ultimately maintained by stem cells that reside in a specialized microenvironment within the corneal limbus termed palisades of Vogt. This limbal niche nourishes, protects, and regulates quiescence, self-renewal, and fate decision of limbal epithelial stem/progenitor cells (LEPCs) toward corneal epithelial differentiation. This review focuses on our current understanding of the mechanism by which limbal (stromal) niche cells (LNCs) regulate the aforementioned functions of LEPCs.

Self-Retained Cryopreserved Amniotic Membrane for the Management of Corneal Ulcers.

Purpose: To evaluate the clinical outcomes of self-retained cryopreserved amniotic membrane (cAM) for the treatment of corneal ulcers.

Methods: This was a single-center, retrospective review of consecutive patients with non-healing corneal ulcers that underwent treatment with self-retained cAM (PROKERA Slim). The primary outcome measure was time to complete corneal epithelialization.

Amniotic membrane transplantation for managing dry eye and neurotrophic keratitis.

Neurotrophic keratitis (NK), a degenerative disease caused by damage to the trigeminal nerve, abolishes both tearing and blinking reflexes, thus causing the most severe forms of dry eye disease (DED). Conversely, the increasing severity of DED also leads to progressive loss of corneal nerve density, potentially resulting in NK. Both diseases manifest the same spectrum of corneal pathologies including inflammation and corneal epithelial keratitis, which can progress into vision-threatening epithelial defect and stromal ulceration.

Basic science review of birth tissue uses in ophthalmology.

The birth tissue is predominantly comprised of amniotic membrane (AM) and umbilical cord (UC), which share the same cell origin as the fetus. These versatile biological tissues have been used to treat a wide range of conjunctival and corneal conditions since 1940. The therapeutic benefits of the birth tissue stem from its anti-inflammatory and anti-scarring properties that orchestrate regenerative healing.