Sophie Deng Laboratory

The Cornea Biology Laboratory, under Dr. Deng's direction, studies the limbal epithelial stem cells (LSCs) and their microenvironment to elucidate the mechanisms by which these cells and the niche factors aid in the regeneration of the corneal surface in patients suffering from limbal stem cell deficiency (LSCD). The role of signaling pathways such as Wnt and Notch in the regulation of LSCs and modulation of these signaling pathways in vitro and in vivo through small molecules is under investigation.

Two clinical studies aimed to characterize the cellular changes in the cornea and limbus leading to LSCD and to study the safety and efficacy of LSC transplantation are ongoing. The first study aims to evaluate and validate in vivo parameters using multimodal imaging such as anterior segment optical coherence tomography (AS-OCT) and in vivo confocal microscopy (IVCM) to diagnose and stage LSCD and to assess LSCD treatment outcome. The second clinical study is a Phase I clinical trial to assess the safety, feasibility and efficacy of autologous cultivated LSC therapy in patients suffering from severe or total LSCD (more info here).

Another research project focused on the stromal cell layer of the cornea aims to treat corneal stromal scars with extracellular vesicles (EVs) derived from corneal stromal stem cells (CSSCs), which are multipotent mesenchymal stem cells that regenerate normal corneal stroma and significantly reduce corneal scarring by mediating anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrosis processes. The specific content (cargo) of the EVs and mechanism of action is also under investigation. Pre-clinical research is ongoing to develop an EV-based therapy that could be directly applied to the eye to reduce corneal stromal scarring and improve vision.