Narayana Nethralaya Stem Cell Research Laboratory (NNSCRL) is being established in Narayana Health city as the Karnataka’s First Ocular Stem Cell Research Laboratory.
This research center is started on September 5th 2007 officially with complete SOPs approved and signed for Limbal ex vivo culture. Standardizations and marker confirmation challenged a lot for more than eight months and at the end of one-year completion we have started limbal stem cell transplantation successfully.
Limbal stem cells being the source of newly generated corneal epithelial cells, any exogenous insult or a change in their microenvironment (niche) will cause severe derangement of ocular surface called limbal stem cell deficiency.
Diagnosis of LSCD
The diagnosis is based on the history and clinical signs, followed by laboratory tests like impression cytology, and histopathology of the pannus. Impression cytology can detect presence of goblet cells on the cornea and it can be used to perform immunohistochemistry for different markers.
Limbal Stem Cells Transplantation
Kenyon and Tseng in1989 carried out first limbal transplant in human. The methods of limbal stem cells transplant have under gone remarkable change in last decade.
Limbal Stem Cell Culture
Ex vivo culture of limbal tissue is carried out in our Grade “B” clean room using amniotic membrane as the substrate. Autologous serum is used.
This bio engineered cell sheet is transplanted to patient and followed.
Our current project include: development of xeno free culture system for Limbal and Conjunctival culture, development of artificial substrate as an alternative to amniotic membrane, Autologous oral mucosal culture, cardiomyocyte culture, study of plasticity of Mesenchymal Stem Cells.
