Human Breast Milk Enhances Cellular Proliferation in Cornea Wound Healing

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Regenerative Medicine
• Biomaterials

Background:

• Corneal epithelial defects require cell signaling molecules for healing.
• Current topical treatments for corneal wounds are limited.
• Human breast milk (HBM) contains bioactive molecules beneficial for epithelial healing.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the potential of HBM as a novel topical treatment for corneal wound healing.
• To evaluate the effects of HBM on corneal re-epithelialization and cellular proliferation.
• To assess the impact of HBM on limbal stem cell (LESC) markers.

Main Methods:

• Induction of central corneal epithelial defects in Balb/c mice.
• Topical treatment with HBM, a standard ophthalmic ointment (RxTx), or saline.
• Quantification of wound area using fluorescein and ImageJ.
• Histological, RT-qPCR, and ELISA analyses for cellular proliferation, inflammation, and gene expression.

Main Results:

• HBM treatment significantly increased corneal re-epithelialization compared to saline at 8 hours post-injury.
• Increased Ki67 expression (a marker of proliferation) was observed in HBM-treated corneas.
• Upregulation of Integrin αV, a LESC gene transcript, was noted with HBM treatment.
• HBM treatment showed comparable IL-1β levels to saline and higher macrophage infiltration compared to saline.

Conclusions:

• HBM accelerates corneal wound healing and enhances cellular proliferation.
• HBM upregulates the LESC gene transcript Integrin αV, suggesting a role in stem cell-mediated repair.
• Further research into specific signaling molecules within HBM could optimize its therapeutic efficacy for corneal regeneration.