Current methods of diagnosis and treatment for limbal stem cell deficiency (review)

Objective: analysis of modern methods of diagnosis of limbal stem cell deficiency (LSCD), assessment of advantages and disadvantages of surgical methods of its treatment. LSCD is a difficuIt-to-treat pathology of the ocular surface. Currently, there are both therapeutic and surgical techniques aimed at combating this problem. We have analyzed more than 50 research papers with a detailed consideration of the current diagnostic criteria and the main advantages and disadvantages of surgical approaches to LSCD, published in 1986-2020 and distributed in eLibrary, PubMed, ResearchGate. However, recently on the wave of active development of tissue-engineering technology and regenerative medicine, tissue and cell transplantation are becoming a new treatment strategy for this disease. In addition, with the application of newly developed ocular imaging technology and molecular methods, diagnose LSCD becomes more reliable. The analysis revealed that among all surgical methods, transplantation of cultured limbal stem cells is the most promising method of treating LSCD.