The corneal endothelium is composed of a single layer of hexagonal cells. Its main function is to maintain the transparency of the cornea. Due to its limited regenerative capacity, genetic disorders, infections, inflammation or injury can cause irreversible damage or dysfunction of the endothelial cells, resulting in impaired vision. The gold standard for the treatment of advanced endothelial diseases remains corneal transplantation; however, this is limited by the availability of suitable donors, the risk of graft rejection and the need for long-term post-operative monitoring, which is driving the search for alternative therapeutic approaches that could reduce endothelial damage and support tissue regeneration. In this Master’s thesis, we investigated the cytoprotective effect of extracellular vesicles derived from umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells in an ex vivo model of human donor corneal endothelium. Endothelial damage was induced using the pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF-α and IFN-γ, which are associated with inflammatory processes and the loss of endothelial cells in various pathological conditions, including corneal transplantation. The effect of extracellular vesicles derived from umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells on the corneal endothelium was assessed using specular microscopy and by determining endothelial cell viability following staining with trypan blue under a light microscope. The results showed a statistically significant reduction in the decline in endothelial cell density and a lower proportion of dead cells in the group treated with extracellular vesicles. These results suggest a possible cytoprotective effect of extracellular vesicles and provide a starting point for further investigation into their role in maintaining corneal endothelial function.
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