Limbal Stem Cell Deficiency: Current Treatment Options and Emerging Therapies

Figure 1

(A) Overview of the anterior surface of the human eye, in which the sclera (with overlying conjunctiva) and cornea can easily be discriminated. (B) The limbus is highly pigmented in some individuals, and allows clear visualization of the limbal palisades of Vogt. The cornea (and underlying dark iris) is pictured above, and conjunctiva (and underlying sclera) below. (C) Diagram of a cross section through the conjunctival, limbal and corneal epithelium. Limbal progenitor cells (a) differentiate into transient amplifying cells (b), post-mitotic cells (c) and finally terminally differentiated cells (d). Movement of cells in X, Y, Z direction is presented by proliferation of stem cells(a), differentiation and centripetal migration (b, c), and desquamation (d) respectively.