ArticleInvestigative ophthalmology & visual science2026
Regeneration and Cancer-The Two Sides of a "Stem Cell" Coin: The 2025 Mildred Weisenfeld Award Lecture.
Article in Investigative ophthalmology & visual science, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
1 author.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Stem cells endowed with properties of self-renewal and differentiation have opened new avenues for restoration and regeneration of damaged tissues. The same adult stem cells, when they undergo irreversible mutations, transform into cancer cells and generate a tumor. In this lecture, I present our work on these two aspects of stem cells: one focuses on regeneration of the ocular surface, whereas the other targets cancer stem cells (CSCs) in retinoblastoma (Rb). In regeneration, I present our experience of transplantation of the cultured limbal epithelial cells to restore the ocular surface in severe limbal stem cell deficiency, with 60% to 70% success. The technique proved that transplanted cells survive, network, integrate, contribute to function, and cause no harm to the patient. We also developed a technique wherein both limbal and conjunctival cells could be cultured on a single membrane utilized ring barrier. This approach was effective in reconstructing the conjunctiva and fornices in patients with severe ocular disease. Furthermore, our work led identification of a subpopulation of limbal-derived stromal cells with features of mesenchymal stem cells. We also saw success with culturing human lacrimal gland tissues marked by the presence of epithelial stem cells and mesenchymal stem cells with secretory potential. These cultures we believe could pave the way of lacrimal gland regeneration through cell therapy. We then flip to the "dark side" of stem cells: the isolation and characterization of CSCs in Rb. We worked on both primary tumors as well as Rb y79 cell lines, with a special focus on reversing their chemoresistant properties. Our work demonstrated the possible role of small extracellular vesicles in Rb as a diagnostic and prognostic marker. The reduction of chemoresistance using nano-formulated drugs and targeted delivery of drug-loaded small extracellular vesicles derived from the tumor cells shows promise.
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.