The corneal limbus which is the transition
zone between the corneal and neighbouring
conjunctival epithelium is the location
of limbal stem cells. The palisades of
Vogt in the limbus are thought to provide
limbal epithelial stem cells, which maintain
the corneal epithelium. Limbal stem cells
are responsible for corneal epithelial
renewal and regeneration and they function
as a barrier, preventing conjunctival
epithelium from growing onto the cornea.
Deficiency of limbal stem cells leads
to 'conjunctivalization' of the cornea
with vascularization, appearance of goblet
cells, and an irregular and unstable epithelium.
This results in ocular discomfort and
reduced vision.
A new strategy of treating limbal stem
cell deficiency is to transplant a bio-engineered
graft by expanding limbal epithelial stem
cells ex vivo (in lab) on amniotic membrane.
This technique minimizes the threat of
damage or depletion to the contralateral
or donor limbus because small limbal biopsy
can be taken for culturing the cells in
lab.
ReliNethra®
C is an autologous limbal stem cell composite
graft, prepared from the limbal biopsy
excised from the healthy eye of the patient.
ReliNethra®
C comprises of limbal epithelial stem
cells cultured ex vivo on human amniotic
membrane (HAM)
