Abstract

Limbal stem cell deficiency has an important position among corneal blindness, it is the second most common cause of blindness in the worldwide. Hyperemia in the eye, watering of the eyes, chronic pain attacks, blepharospasm, low vision, conjunctivalization, neovascularization, and fibrovascular pannus are observed in patients and these lowering their quality of life significantly. Keratolimbal allografts, conjunctivolimbal allografts and eccentric corneal grafts were used in the treatment of these pathologies. However, as a result of the recent studies, genes and markers that belong to stem cells such as p63 gene, ABCG2, ABCB5, Vimentin, K19 and connexin were defined and thus limbal stem cells were successfully reproduced. Today, the treatment of these diseases is possible by reproducing the stem cells in a small limbal biopsy using various methods. This approach is still current and still developing. In this study we aimed to review limbal stem cell’s genes, markers and current treatment modalities.

Key words: ABCG2, ABCB5, ex vivo stem cell reproduction, connexin, K19, limbal stem cell deficiency, gene p63, vimentin