title: Concept and clinical application of cultivated epithelial transplantation for ocular surface disorders.
abstract: Corneal epithelial replacement using a tissue engineering technique holds much promise for ocular surface reconstruction in cases of corneal epithelial stem cell deficiency. However, even though an autologous cultivated corneal epithelial stem cell sheet is the safest and most reliable form of sheet, bilaterally affected ocular surface disorders cannot be treated by this method. To treat bilateral cases, we must choose either an allogeneic cultivated corneal epithelial sheet or an autologous cultivated oral mucosal epithelial sheet. In the case of the former, immunological reaction is a threat. Thus, understanding of the immunological background of ocular surface reconstruction using allogeneic tissues is essential. In the case of the latter, the transplanted sheet is not exactly the same as corneal epithelium, and understanding ocular surface epithelial biology is important. In this review, we summarize and explain the concept and clinical application of cultivated mucosal epithelial transplantation for ocular surface disorders.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan. sigeruk@ophth.kpu-m.ac.jp
authors.forename: Shigeru
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kinoshita
authors.forename: Noriko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Koizumi
authors.forename: Chie
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sotozono
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yamada
authors.forename: Takahiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.forename: Tsutomu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Inatomi