Application of Cell Therapy for Treatment of Chemical and Traumatic Corneal Injuries

Eye injuries are one of the most common side effects of chemical agents, especially mustard gas, which can cause many conflicts in the long time. The cornea is the most critical component of the eye, and many eye injuries somehow are related to that. Nowadays, corneal transplantation is the conventional treatment for corneal injuries, which is due to the lack of a donor, rejection of the transplant, and the possibility of transmitting the disease from the donor to the recipient, face limitations that require an alternative with high efficiency. Stem cells with the ability to proliferate and differentiate into target tissues play a crucial role in novel regeneration methods. These cells are also harvested from various non-ocular sources such as bone marrow, adipose and umbilical cord as well as ocular sources in the corneal layers. Direct and indirect transfer of stem cells with different ocular and ocular references to the cornea's damaged layers and subsequent differentiation into specific corneal cells and its regeneration has been considered a practical treatment in recent years. Due to the high progress in this field in many countries and its replacement with high-risk and time-consuming surgical methods, it needs to be studied more. In this review, in addition to introducing the challenges of current medical procedures and the structure of corneal tissue, the preclinical and clinical advances in the use of stem cells for cell therapy are highlighted.