Establishing and characterizing lacrispheres from human lacrimal gland for potential clinical application.

Purpose: Lacrimal gland (LG) dysfunction leading to dry eye syndrome (DES) is an important cause of ocular morbidity. One of the potential and promising long-term management therapies for restoration of LG function could be transplantation of autologous ex vivo expanded stem cells. The present study was aimed at exploring the 2D and 3D cultures of human LG, identifying inherent stem cells and evaluating their secretory potential.

Aqueous Deficient Dry Eye Syndrome Post Orbital Radiotherapy: A 10-Year Retrospective Study.

Purpose: Despite advances in orbital radiotherapy (XRT), a significant proportion of patients develop ophthalmic complication like dry eye syndrome (DES). The study evaluates the prevalence of aqueous deficient DES (ADDE) and lacrimal gland (LG) changes through histologic evaluation and ex-vivo expansion potential postorbital XRT.

Methods: With the approval of the institutional review board, medical records of patients who underwent orbital XRT as management protocol were reviewed for evidence of ADDE using DEWS (Dry Eye Workshop) 2007 criteria ( = 51).

Human lacrimal gland regeneration: Perspectives and review of literature.

The human lacrimal gland is an essential component of the lacrimal functional unit (LFU). Any perturbation of this unit can lead to the debilitating morbid condition called the dry eye syndrome (DES). The current line of therapy available for dry eye remains supportive and palliative with the patient being dependent on life long and frequent administration of lubricating eye drops.

Clinical and Cytologic Evidence of Limbal Stem Cell Deficiency in Eyes With Long-Standing Vernal Keratoconjunctivitis.

Purpose: We aimed to study the impression cytology (IC) of the ocular surface in eyes with vernal keratoconjunctivitis (VKC) and clinical evidence of limbal stem cell deficiency (LSCD).

Design: This is a prospective comparative study.

Methods: This study included 78 eyes of 40 patients with VKC.

Establishing human lacrimal gland cultures with secretory function.

Purpose: Dry eye syndrome is a multifactorial chronic disabling disease mainly caused by the functional disruptions in the lacrimal gland. The treatment involves palliation like ocular surface lubrication and rehydration. Cell therapy involving replacement of the gland is a promising alternative for providing long-term relief to patients.

Clinical outcomes of xeno-free autologous cultivated limbal epithelial transplantation: a 10-year study.

Purpose: Ocular burns can damage the corneal epithelial stem cells located at the limbus. This study evaluated the efficacy of xeno-free autologous cell-based treatment of limbal stem cell deficiency.

Methods: This retrospective study included 200 patients, above 8 years of age, with clinically diagnosed unilateral total limbal stem cell deficiency due to ocular surface burns treated between 2001 and 2010.

In vitro culture and expansion of human limbal epithelial cells.

Limbal stem cells (LSCs) have an important role in the maintenance of the corneal surface epithelium, and autologous cultured limbal epithelial cell transplantations have contributed substantially to the treatment of the visually disabling condition known as LSC deficiency. In this protocol, we describe a method of establishing human limbal epithelial cell cultures by a feeder-free explant culture technique using a small limbal biopsy specimen and human amniotic membrane (hAM) as the culture substrate. This protocol is free of animal-derived products and involves the use of human recombinant growth factors.

Simultaneous isolation of vascular endothelial cells and mesenchymal stem cells from the human umbilical cord.

The umbilical cord represents the link between mother and fetus during pregnancy. This cord is usually discarded as a biological waste after the child's birth; however, its importance as a "store house" of stem cells has been explored recently. We developed a method of simultaneous isolation of endothelial cells (ECs) from the vein and mesenchymal stem cells from umbilical cord Wharton's jelly of the same cord.