Combination Of Intracorneal Ring-Supported Graft And Human Wharton’S Jelly Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells For The Treatment Of Keratoconus
Published 2026 - 44th Congress of the ESCRS
Reference: CC03.11 | Type: Case Report | DOI: 10.82333/can4-sf68
Authors: Dr Hossein Aghamollaei 1 , A/Prof. Khosrow Jadidi 1 , Dr Farhad Nejat* 1 , Dr Massoud Vosough 2 , Ms Setare Besharatzad 1
1Semnan University of Medical Sciences,Vision Health Research Center,Semnan,Iran, Islamic Republic Of, 2Department of Regenerative Medicine, Cell Science Research Center,Royan Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Technology,Tehran,Iran, Islamic Republic Of
Purpose
To report the 6-month follow-up of an innovative ring transplantation method using GMP-Compliant/Clinical grad human Wharton's jelly mesenchymal stromal cells (hWJ-MSCs), as the first human study in the world, to treat a keratoconus in the right eye.
Setting
Prospective interventioal case report , conducted in the Vision Helth Research Center, Semnan, Iran
Report of case
A 27-year-old female patient with stage 2 keratoconus in the right eye underwent intracorneal ring supported allograft implantation and simultaneous injection of GMP-compliant human WJ-MSCs. Preoperative and postoperative (1-month, 3-month and 6-month) assessments included corneal topography, biomechanical evaluation using Corvis ST, anterior segment optical coherence tomography (AS-OCT), and specular microscopy.
At 1 month, the corneal topography showed a significant improvement in regularity, with a decrease in the maximum keratometry (Kmax) from 57.6 to 55.9 diopters (D) and a reduction in corneal astigmatism from 3.9 to 1.7 D. Corneal biomechanical parameters also improved, with a decrease in the maximum deformation amplitude (DA) from 1.11 to 0.93 mm and an increase in the highest concavity radius (HCR) from 5.68 to 5.36 mm. The central corneal thickness (CCT) increased from 431 to 665 μm. The 3- and 6-month follow-up indicated that the topography and biomechanics of the cornea remained stable, witout any complication.
Conclusion/Take home message
The implantation of an innovative intracorneal ring-supported graft combined with human WJ-MSCs, changed the shape of the cornea, improved its biomechanical properties, and enhanced visual outcomes in this patient with keratoconus, demonstrating its potential as a suitable treatment option.