Message from Professor Shigeru Kinoshita, M.D., PhD.
[Department of Ophthalmology, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine]

Ocular surface reconstruction by regenerative medicine using corneal epithelial stem cells will be the surgical treatment of the next generation. The Department of Ophthalmology at Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine has developed a new modality of regenerative medical treatment for patients bilaterally affected with severe ocular surface diseases. By culturing either homologous human corneal epithelial cells or autologous oral mucosal epithelial cells on the amniotic membrane, an epithelial sheet is created and then transplanted. In this clinical study, approved by our university's ethical committee, the clinical data display favorable results.

It is highly likely that the cultured corneal epithelial sheet contains numerous stem cells. I believe that ocular surface reconstruction by means of cultured corneal or mucosal epithelium will play a cutting-edge role in regenerative medicine. Venture companies aiming to pursue regenerative medicine are currently engaged in developing treatment methods for intractable diseases; their work is attracting wide attention. ArBlast is one such company, which is trying to use the technological spin-off of research using amniotic membrane from the placenta in regenerative medicine.

As previously mentioned, our department is centering its research on regenerative medicine concerned with ocular surface reconstruction. We are scientifically interested in the same areas as ArBlast, which sometimes leads to a sharing of information. I have great expectations for ArBlast. I am sure that it will develop new basic technology relating to regenerative medicine, providing a breakthrough in ophthalmology and it will greatly contribute to medical care in the 21st century.