From single cell therapy towards multifactorial transplants to treat corneal epithelial blindness.

Vision loss greatly affects quality of life. Corneal injuries and diseases, though less common than cataract, significantly impact individuals, especially children and working-age adults. The cornea surface is renewed by limbal stem cells (LSCs), which can be damaged by injuries or diseases, leading to blindness. Traditional corneal transplants can't replace these stem cells. Our research aims to understand the limbal cell hierarchy and identify therapeutic cells. We will also study the environment conditions for supporting the functionality of these cells. Based on the increased knowledge, we are developing a treatment method combining various LSCs produced from human pluripotent stem cells with special bioinks using 3D printing technology. This approach aims to improve healing for severe corneal injuries. With advanced cell production and 3D printing techniques, we aim to increase efficacy of the cell-based treatments in future.