Journal Article

Allogeneic Umbilical Cord Blood Serum Eyedrops for the Treatment of Severe Dry Eye Disease Patients

Avitabile, Alessandro, Cannizzaro, Ludovica, D’Esposito, Fabiana, Gagliano, Giuseppe, Capobianco, Matteo, Gagliano, Caterina, Zeppieri, Marco, Cappellani, Francesco, Tancredi, Giuseppa

2025

Overview

Human allogeneic umbilical cord blood serum stands out as a potent adjunct to conventional therapies for ocular surface disorders related to severe Dry Eye Disease. By expediting ocular surface regeneration and fostering epithelial integrity, umbilical cord blood serum not only enhances subjective patient experiences but also improves objective clinical indicators. This makes it particularly useful in patients with corneal ulcers through ocular surface regeneration and anti-inflammatory activity. This retrospective, interventional, non-randomized clinical study aims to explore the efficacy of allogenic umbilical cord blood serum in patients who had previously received other treatments unsuccessfully. This study was a retrospective, non-comparative, interventional clinical study involving 55 patients (35 females and 20 males) aged 18–82 years with severe Dry Eye Disease who were unresponsive to standard treatments. The study was conducted at Eye Center “G.B. Morgagni-DSV”, Catania, Italy. Patients were categorized based on the etiology of severe Dry Eye Disease into four groups: group I consisted of 26 patients with filamentary keratitis and corneal ulcers associated with rheumatologic diseases such as Sjogren’s syndrome and systemic sclerosis; group II comprised 15 patients with graft-versus-host disease; group III consisted of 10 patients with corneal neurotrophic ulcers; group IV included four patients with Steven–Johnson syndrome. Outcomes evaluated before and after treatment were OSDI (Ocular Surface Disease Index) and SANDE (Symptom Assessment in Dry Eye) Questionnaires, VAS (Visual Analog Scale), Slit-Lamp Examination, Esthesiometry, Lissamine Green Staining, NIBUT (Non-Invasive Break-Up Time) and BUT, Fluorescein Staining with Photography and Oxford Classification, Schirmer Test, Best-Corrected Visual Acuity (BCVA), Meibography. We observed a significant improvement in SANDE, VAS and OSDI questionnaires, Schirmer Test, BUT, BCVA, and Oxford classification after treatment with allogeneic cord blood serum eyedrops. Clinical variables, such as corneal inflammation, conjunctivalization, corneal neovascularization, or pain, were also considered individually. Nevertheless, pain and inflammation reduced markedly over time until completely healed in all cases. Our study highlights the remarkable efficacy of allogeneic cord blood serum eyedrops in patients with severe Dry Eye Disease who have shown absent or inadequate response to usual treatments for dry eye. This underscores the need for further comprehensive investigations in this field.

• Publisher: MDPI AG
• Subject: Adolescent / Adult / Aged / Aged, 80 and over / Autoimmune diseases / Biological products / Care and treatment / Chronic illnesses / Cornea / Cytokines / Development and progression / Dry Eye Syndromes - drug therapy / Dry Eye Syndromes - etiology / Dry Eye Syndromes - therapy / Epidermal growth factor / Eye diseases / Female / Fetal Blood / Graft versus host disease / Graft vs Host Disease / Health aspects / Homeostasis / Humans / Inflammation / Male / Medical research / Medicine, Experimental / Middle Aged / Ophthalmic Solutions - administration & dosage / Ophthalmic Solutions - therapeutic use / Pain / Patients / Phlebotomy / Retrospective Studies / Scleroderma / Scleroderma (Disease) / Serum / Systemic scleroderma / Treatment Outcome / Ulcers / Umbilical cord / Vascular endothelial growth factor / Women / Young Adult