ArticleBMJ open ophthalmology2021
Proof-of-concept study of electrospun PLGA membrane in the treatment of limbal stem cell deficiency.
Article in BMJ open ophthalmology, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
7 citing papers in PubMed, 15 citations in OpenAlex.
- Surface modified electrospun scaffold supports iPSC-derived limbal stem cell function.npj biomedical innovations · 2026Article
- Progenitor cells from limbal, conjunctival and oral mucosal biopsies cultivated on silicone hydrogel contact lenses share CD90, CK15, nestin, CXCR4 and SDF-1 niche markers but preserve tissue-specific characteristics and differentiation directions.Frontiers in cell and developmental biology · 2026Article
- Targeting limbal epithelial stem cells: master conductors of corneal epithelial regeneration from the bench to multilevel theranostics.Journal of translational medicine · 2024Review
- A Biosynthetic Alternative to Human Amniotic Membrane for Use in Ocular Surface Surgery.Translational vision science & technology · 2024Article
- Advances in Cell Transplantation Therapy for Limbal Stem Cell Deficiency.Current stem cell research & therapy · 2024Review
- Detection of Limbal Stem Cells Adhered to Melt Electrospun Silk Fibroin and Gelatin-Modified Polylactic Acid Scaffolds.Polymers · 2023Article
- Biofabrication of Artificial Stem Cell Niches in the Anterior Ocular Segment.Bioengineering (Basel, Switzerland) · 2021Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
9 authors at 5 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectiveThe aim of this study was to assess the safety of poly-lactic co-glycolic acid (PLGA) electrospun membranes as carriers for limbal tissue explants for treatment of limbal stem cell deficiency (LSCD). METHODS AND ANALYSIS: Approval was obtained for a first in-man study from the Drug Controller General of India. PLGA membranes were applied to the affected eye of five patients after removal of the vascular pannus. Simple limbal epithelial transplantation was performed and limbal explants were secured on the membrane using fibrin glue followed by a bandage contact lens. Patients were followed up for 1 year with ocular exams including slit lamp exam, corneal thickness measurements, intraocular pressure measurements and recording of corneal vascularisation and visual acuity. Systemic examinations included pain grading, clinical laboratory assessment, blood chemistry and urine analysis at baseline, 3 and 6 months after surgery.
resultsPLGA membranes completely degraded by 8 weeks post-transplantation without any infection or inflammation. In all five patients, the epithelium regenerated by 3 months. In two in five patients, there was a sustained two-line improvement in vision. In one in five patients, the vision improvement was limited due to an underlying stromal scarring. There was recurrence of pannus and LSCD in two in five patients 6 months after surgery which was not attributable to the membrane. The ocular surface remained clear with no epithelial defects in three in five subjects at 12 months.
conclusionPLGA electrospun membranes show promise as carrier for limbal epithelial cells in the treatment of LSCD.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.