1
|
Kaufman R, Jun AS. Emerging alternatives to keratoplasty for corneal endothelial cell dysfunction. Curr Opin Ophthalmol 2024:00055735-990000000-00181. [PMID: 38941153 DOI: 10.1097/icu.0000000000001071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/30/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW While effective for treating endothelial dysfunction, keratoplasty has shortcomings including limited access to donor tissue for much of the world. Thus, alternative strategies are under development. This review explores the main advancements achieved in this field during 2022-2023. RECENT FINDINGS Recent publications further support the validity of intracameral cultivated allogeneic endothelial cell injection and Descemet stripping only, while emphasizing the benefits of adjunctive Rho-associated kinase inhibitor (ROCKi) therapy. New donor-independent artificial implants, such as EndoArt, show favorable results. Multiple pharmacologic agents, especially ROCKi, show promise as monotherapies, yet none are currently approved for human treatment. Multiple regenerative and genetic therapies are being investigated but all are still in preclinical stages. SUMMARY A plethora of innovative alternatives to keratoplasty for endothelial disease is in development. Among these, surgical methods are still the mainstay of treatment and closest to clinical application, though further studies to establish their benefits over keratoplasty are needed. Albeit promising, pharmacologic, regenerative, and genetic approaches require validation and are farther from clinical application.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ron Kaufman
- Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Albert S Jun
- Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Polopalli S, Saha A, Niri P, Kumar M, Das P, Kamboj DV, Chattopadhyay P. ROCK Inhibitors as an Alternative Therapy for Corneal Grafting: A Systematic Review. J Ocul Pharmacol Ther 2023; 39:585-599. [PMID: 37738326 DOI: 10.1089/jop.2023.0040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Currently, corneal blindness is affecting >10 million individuals worldwide, and there is a significant unmet medical need because only 1.5% of transplantation needs are met globally due to a lack of high-quality grafts. In light of this global health disaster, researchers are developing corneal substitutes that can resemble the human cornea in vivo and replace human donor tissue. Thus, this review examines ROCK (Rho-associated coiled-coil containing protein kinases) inhibitors as a potential corneal wound-healing (CWH) therapy by reviewing the existing clinical and nonclinical findings. The systematic review was done from PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar for CWH, corneal injury, corneal endothelial wound healing, ROCK inhibitors, Fasudil, Netarsudil, Ripasudil, Y-27632, clinical trial, clinical study, case series, case reports, preclinical study, in vivo, and in vitro studies. After removing duplicates, all downloaded articles were examined. The literature search included the data till January 2023. This review summarized the results of ROCK inhibitors in clinical and preclinical trials. In a clinical trial, various ROCK inhibitors improved CWH in individuals with open-angle glaucoma, cataract, iris cyst, ocular hypertension, and other ocular diseases. ROCK inhibitors also improved ocular wound healing by increasing cell adhesion, migration, and proliferation in vitro and in vivo. ROCK inhibitors have antifibrotic, antiangiogenic, anti-inflammatory, and antiapoptotic characteristics in CWH, according to the existing research. ROCK inhibitors were effective topical treatments for corneal infections. Ripasudil, Y-27632, H-1152, Y-39983, and AMA0526 are a few new ROCK inhibitors that may help CWH and replace human donor tissue.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Subramanyam Polopalli
- Division of Pharmaceutical Technology, Defence Research Laboratory (DRL), Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), Tezpur, India
- Department of Chemical Technology, University of Calcutta, Kolkata, India
| | - Achintya Saha
- Department of Chemical Technology, University of Calcutta, Kolkata, India
| | - Pakter Niri
- Division of Pharmaceutical Technology, Defence Research Laboratory (DRL), Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), Tezpur, India
- Department of Chemical Technology, University of Calcutta, Kolkata, India
| | - Mohit Kumar
- Division of Pharmaceutical Technology, Defence Research Laboratory (DRL), Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), Tezpur, India
| | - Parikshit Das
- Division of Pharmaceutical Technology, Defence Research Laboratory (DRL), Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), Tezpur, India
| | - Dev Vrat Kamboj
- Division of Pharmaceutical Technology, Defence Research Laboratory (DRL), Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), Tezpur, India
| | - Pronobesh Chattopadhyay
- Division of Pharmaceutical Technology, Defence Research Laboratory (DRL), Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), Tezpur, India
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Vercammen H, Miron A, Oellerich S, Melles GRJ, Ní Dhubhghaill S, Koppen C, Van Den Bogerd B. Corneal endothelial wound healing: understanding the regenerative capacity of the innermost layer of the cornea. Transl Res 2022; 248:111-127. [PMID: 35609782 DOI: 10.1016/j.trsl.2022.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2022] [Revised: 04/14/2022] [Accepted: 05/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Currently, there are very few well-established treatments to stimulate corneal endothelial cell regeneration in vivo as a cure for corneal endothelial dysfunctions. The most frequently performed intervention for a damaged or dysfunctional corneal endothelium nowadays is corneal endothelial keratoplasty, also known as lamellar corneal transplantation surgery. Newer medical therapies are emerging and are targeting the regeneration of the corneal endothelium, helping the patients regain their vision without the need for donor tissue. Alternatives to donor tissues are needed as the aging population requiring transplants, has further exacerbated the pressure on the corneal eye banking system. Significant ongoing research efforts in the field of corneal regenerative medicine have been made to elucidate the underlying pathways and effector proteins involved in corneal endothelial regeneration. However, the literature offers little guidance and selective attention to the question of how to fully exploit these pathways. The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of wound healing characteristics from a biochemical level in the lab to the regenerative features seen in the clinic. Studying the pathways involved in corneal wound healing together with their key effector proteins, can help explain the effect on the proliferation and migration capacity of the corneal endothelial cells.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hendrik Vercammen
- Antwerp Research Group for Ocular Science (ARGOS), Translational Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Alina Miron
- Netherlands Institute for Innovative Ocular Surgery (NIIOS), Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Silke Oellerich
- Netherlands Institute for Innovative Ocular Surgery (NIIOS), Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Gerrit R J Melles
- Netherlands Institute for Innovative Ocular Surgery (NIIOS), Rotterdam, The Netherlands; Melles Cornea Clinic Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Sorcha Ní Dhubhghaill
- Antwerp Research Group for Ocular Science (ARGOS), Translational Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium; Department of Ophthalmology, Antwerp University Hospital, Edegem, Belgium; Netherlands Institute for Innovative Ocular Surgery (NIIOS), Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Carina Koppen
- Antwerp Research Group for Ocular Science (ARGOS), Translational Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium; Department of Ophthalmology, Antwerp University Hospital, Edegem, Belgium
| | - Bert Van Den Bogerd
- Antwerp Research Group for Ocular Science (ARGOS), Translational Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Endothelial keratoplasty is the current gold standard for treating corneal endothelial diseases, achieving excellent visual outcomes and rapid rehabilitation. There are, however, severe limitations to donor tissue supply and uneven access to surgical teams and facilities across the globe. Cell therapy is an exciting approach that has shown promising early results. Herein, we review the latest developments in cell therapy for corneal endothelial disease. RECENT FINDINGS We highlight the work of several groups that have reported successful functional outcomes of cell therapy in animal models, with the utilization of human embryonic stem cells, human-induced pluripotent stem cells and cadaveric human corneal endothelial cells (CECs) to generate populations of CECs for intracameral injection. The use of corneal endothelial progenitors, viability of cryopreserved cells and efficacy of simple noncultured cells, in treating corneal decompensation is of particular interest. Further additions to the collective understanding of CEC physiology, and the process of cultivating and administering effective cell therapy are reviewed as well. SUMMARY The latest developments in cell therapy for corneal endothelial disease are presented. The continuous growth in this field gives rise to the hope that a viable solution to the large numbers of corneal blind around the world will one day be reality.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Evan N Wong
- Corneal and External Diseases Department, Singapore National Eye Centre
- Tissue Engineering and Cell Therapy Group, Singapore Eye Research Institute
| | - Jodhbir S Mehta
- Corneal and External Diseases Department, Singapore National Eye Centre
- Tissue Engineering and Cell Therapy Group, Singapore Eye Research Institute
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Duke-National University of Singapore (NUS) Graduate Medical School
- School of Material Science & Engineering and School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Jung B, Lee H, Kim S, Tchah H, Hwang C. Effect of Rho-Associated Kinase Inhibitor and Mesenchymal Stem Cell-Derived Conditioned Medium on Corneal Endothelial Cell Senescence and Proliferation. Cells 2021; 10:cells10061463. [PMID: 34207965 PMCID: PMC8230597 DOI: 10.3390/cells10061463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2021] [Revised: 06/02/2021] [Accepted: 06/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
This study aims to obtain sufficient corneal endothelial cells for regenerative application. We examined the combinatory effects of Rho-associated kinase (ROCK) inhibitor Y-27632 and mesenchymal stem cell-derived conditioned medium (MSC-CM) on the proliferation and senescence of rabbit corneal endothelial cells (rCECs). rCECs were cultured in a control medium, a control medium mixed with either Y-27632 or MSC-CM, and a combinatory medium containing Y-27632 and MSC-CM. Cells were analyzed for morphology, cell size, nuclei/cytoplasmic ratio, proliferation capacity and gene expression. rCECs cultured in a combinatory culture medium showed a higher passage number, cell proliferation, and low senescence. rCECs on collagen type I film showed high expression of tight junction. The cell proliferation marker Ki-67 was positively stained either in Y-27632 or MSC-CM-containing media. Genes related to cell proliferation resulted in negligible changes in MKI67, CIP2A, and PCNA in the combinatory medium, suggesting proliferative capacity was maintained. In contrast, all of these genes were significantly downregulated in the other groups. Senescence marker β-galactosidase-positive cells significantly decreased in either MSC-CM and/or Y-27632 mixed media. Senescence-related genes downregulated LMNB1 and MAP2K6, and upregulated MMP2. Cell cycle checkpoint genes such as CDC25C, CDCA2, and CIP2A did not vary in the combinatory medium but were significantly downregulated in either ROCK inhibitor or MSC-CM alone. These results imply the synergistic effect of combinatory culture medium on corneal endothelial cell proliferation and high cell number. This study supports high potential for translation to the development of human corneal endothelial tissue regeneration.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Boyoung Jung
- Department of Convergence Medicine, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul 05505, Korea;
- Biomedical Engineering Research Center, Asan Institute for Life Sciences, Asan Medical Center, Seoul 05505, Korea;
| | - Hun Lee
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul 05505, Korea;
- Department of Ophthalmology, Asan Medical Center, Seoul 05505, Korea
| | - Sumi Kim
- Biomedical Engineering Research Center, Asan Institute for Life Sciences, Asan Medical Center, Seoul 05505, Korea;
| | - Hungwon Tchah
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul 05505, Korea;
- Department of Ophthalmology, Asan Medical Center, Seoul 05505, Korea
- Correspondence: (H.T.); (C.H.); Tel.: +82-2-3010-3674 (H.T.); +82-2-3010-4097 (C.H.); Fax: +82-2-470-6640 (H.T.); +82-2-3010-4182 (C.H.)
| | - Changmo Hwang
- Department of Convergence Medicine, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul 05505, Korea;
- Biomedical Engineering Research Center, Asan Institute for Life Sciences, Asan Medical Center, Seoul 05505, Korea;
- Correspondence: (H.T.); (C.H.); Tel.: +82-2-3010-3674 (H.T.); +82-2-3010-4097 (C.H.); Fax: +82-2-470-6640 (H.T.); +82-2-3010-4182 (C.H.)
| |
Collapse
|