Mesenchymal stem cell therapy for alleviating ocular surface inflammation in allergic conjunctivitis

Abstract

Allergic eye diseases have become a major concern worldwide, especially in the paediatric population. Vernal keratoconjunctivitis, a seasonal, chronic, bilateral inflammation of the ocular surface, represents one of the most common forms of ocular allergy in subtropical climates which may lead to corneal scarring and blindness if not properly treated. Late diagnosis of the disease and potential side effects of the currently used topical steroids, antihistamines, and mast cell stabilizers necessitates the development of early diagnostic tools and alternate immunosuppressive therapies. Mesenchymal stem cells have shown promising therapeutic potentials due to their tissue repair, anti-allergic, and immunomodulatory properties. However, their role in allergic conjunctivitis/vernal keratoconjunctivitis is poorly explored. Here, it is hypothesized that mesenchymal stem cells or their secreted products alleviate inflammation and promote repair of the damaged ocular surface in allergic conjunctivitis patients. It is presumed that they do so through multiple anti-allergic mechanisms and maintain long-term immunosuppression with significantly reduced or negligible side effects. These cells or their secreted products (extracellular vesicles, growth factors, conditioned medium, inflammatory mediators, and other biomolecules) can be used as topical immunosuppressive medications for effectively treating ocular surface inflammation in allergic conjunctivitis.