cultivated oral mucosal epithelial sheet (Seoul National University Hospital)

Cultivated oral mucosal epithelial sheet (COMET) is an autologous cell therapy developed by Seoul National University Hospital for the treatment of severe limbal stem cell deficiency (LSCD). The therapy involves harvesting a small sample of the patient's own oral mucosal tissue, which is then expanded in vitro to form a cohesive epithelial cell sheet. This sheet is surgically transplanted onto the damaged ocular surface to restore the corneal epithelium. This approach is particularly valuable for patients with bilateral LSCD, such as those suffering from Stevens-Johnson syndrome, ocular cicatricial pemphigoid, or extensive chemical burns, where autologous limbal tissue is unavailable. The transplanted cells act to reconstruct the ocular surface, reduce corneal opacity, and improve visual acuity by providing a renewable source of epithelial cells.

Other names

autologous cultivated oral mucosal epithelial cell sheetSNUH-COMET