Corneal Wound Healing: Limbal Stem Cell Deficiency

Limbal stem cells are responsible for the continuous renewal of the corneal epithelium. The destruction or dysfunction of these stem cells or their niche induces limbal stem cell deficiency (LSCD) leading to visual loss, chronic pain, and inflammation of the ocular surface.

In this in vivo model, total LSCD is developed in pigs by n-heptanol-based denudation of the corneal surface and 360º limbal cryogenic lesions.

Animals are weekly evaluated and scored by the same two independent researchers for: edema, opacification, neovascularisation, and re- epithelization. Photographs are taken at each evaluation point. Histopathology analyses at the end of follow-up (12 weeks) evaluate the degree of damage created in the limbal niche and the presence of inflammation and goblet cells (as a sign of conjunctival in-growth) in the central cornea.

Severe corneal scarring, neovascularization, opacification, epithelial defects (fluorescein staining in green), and limbal destruction are observed, resembling human LSCD.

New ocular treatments could be applied in this model in order to evaluate their effect in a moderate/severe LSCD and in a severe model of corneal epithelial wound healing.