The growing interest in stem cell research may also yield new last-resort treatment for challenging conditions such as Stevens-Johnson syndrome and ocular phemigoid.

Researchers at Japan’s Department of Ophthalmology, Tokyo Dental College, and Department of Ophthalmology, Keio University School of Medicine performed and evaluated 70 transplantations of corneal epithelial stem cells from cadaveric eyes into 43 eyes of 39 patients with severe ocular-surface disorders and limbal dysfunction. Medical treatment had been unsuccessful in all these patients, who had a mean preoperative visual acuity of 0.004 in the affected eyes and were therefore considered legally blind.

The researchers also performed standard corneal transplantation in 28 of the 43 eyes. Stem cell transplantation procedures were repeated up to 4 times if the initial results of the procedure were unsatisfactory. Nineteen patients underwent multiple transplantations, and all of the patients were followed for a period of at least 1 year postoperatively.

After a mean of 1,163 days post-transplantation, 22 of the 43 eyes (51%) showed corneal epithelialization. Seven had corneal stromal edema and 15 had clear corneas. Mean visual acuity improved to 0.02.