Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 1, 2026
Mucociliary Epithelial Organoids from Xenopus Embryonic Cells: Generation, Culture and High-Resolution Live Imaging
Published on: July 28, 2020
Cultivated Oral Mucosa Epithelium in Ocular Surface Reconstruction in Aniridia Patients
Dariusz Dobrowolski1, Boguslawa Orzechowska-Wylegala2, Bogumil Wowra1
1Department of Ophthalmology, Ophthalmology Clinic, II School of Medicine with the Division of Dentistry in Zabrze, Medical University of Silesia, District Railway Hospital, Panewnicka 65 street, 40760 Katowice, Poland.
Purpose:
Efficacy of cultivated oral mucosa epithelial transplantation (COMET) procedure in corneal epithelium restoration of aniridia patients.
Methods:
Study subjects were aniridia patients (13 patients; 17 eyes) with irregular, vascular conjunctival pannus involving visual axis who underwent autologous transplantation of cultivated epithelium. For the procedure oral mucosa epithelial cells were obtained from buccal mucosa with further enzymatic treatment. Suspension of single cells was seeded on previously prepared denuded amniotic membrane. Cultures were carried on culture dishes inserts in the presence of the inactivated with Mitomycin C monolayer of 3T3 fibroblasts. Cultures were carried for seven days. Stratified oral mucosa epithelium with its amniotic membrane carrier was transplanted on the surgically denuded corneal surface of aniridia patients with total or subtotal limbal stem cell deficiency. Outcome Measures. Corneal surface, epithelial regularity, and visual acuity improvement were evaluated.
Results:
At the end of the observation period, 76.4% of the eyes had regular transparent epithelium and 23.5% had developed epithelial defects or central corneal haze; in 88.2% of cases visual acuity had increased. VA range was from HM 0.05 before the surgery to HM up to 0.1 after surgery.
Conclusion:
Application of cultivated oral mucosa epithelium restores regular epithelium on the corneal surface with moderate improvement in quality of vision.
