Long-term corneal recovery by simultaneous delivery of hPSC-derived corneal endothelial precursors and nicotinamide.

ABSTRACT: Human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) hold great promise for the treatment of various human diseases. However, their therapeutic benefits and mechanisms for treating corneal endothelial dysfunction remain undefined. Here, we developed a therapeutic regimen consisting of the combination of hPSC-derived corneal endothelial precursors (CEPs) with nicotinamide (NAM) for effective treatment of corneal endothelial dysfunction. In rabbit and nonhuman primate models, intracameral injection of CEPs and NAM achieved long-term recovery of corneal clarity and thickness, similar with the therapeutic outcome of cultured human corneal endothelial cells (CECs). The transplanted human CEPs exhibited structural and functional integration with host resident CECs. However, the long-term recovery relied on the

SUBMITTER: Li Z 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8718141 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature