Emerging technologies on the horizon for corneal diseases: Research is underway on corneal stromal stem cells, bioengineered corneal tissue and other advances.

The article focuses on emerging technologies for treating corneal diseases, highlighting advances in corneal stromal stem cells (CSSCs), bioengineered corneal tissue, biosynthetic engineering, and cell therapy. Research led by institutions such as the University of Pittsburgh and Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine has demonstrated potential in regenerating corneal tissue, reducing scarring, and treating conditions like bullous keratopathy using stem cells, recombinant collagen, and fully differentiated human corneal endothelial cells (HCECs). Companies including Aurion Biotech, EyeYon Medical, Trefoil Therapeutics, Emmecell, and Cellusion are developing and testing these innovations through clinical trials worldwide. These technologies aim to address donor cornea shortages and improve treatment outcomes with less invasive approaches.