Transplantation of cells of the oral mucosa in the treatment of limbal stem cell deficiency

The actual problem of treatment of patients with limbal cell stem deficiency is reviewed. We summarized practical experience in various fields of medicine, aimed at tissue reconstruction using cells of the buccal mucosa. In ophthalmology, an effective method has long been searched to treat patients with the limbal stem cell deficiency causing an intense opacification and vascularization of the cornea and followed by a significant decrease in visual acuity. Recent studies have shown that the transplantation of epithelial cells of oral mucosa can significantly improve the treatment of patients with this disease. Although the mechanisms of oral mucosa epithelial cells' action are still insufficiently studied, the existing positive experience of oral mucosa using for tissue repair has great interest to practitioners, giving potential possibilities of its use, therapeutic effectiveness and ease of obtaining. A brief review of the literature presents the description of the morphological features of the. buccal mucosa and the analysis of published data about the use of buccal epithelium in various branches of medicine and in ophthalmology, in particular.