[Health in News] Discarded Eyelid Tissue After Surgery Emerges as a New Source of Stem Cells

From left: Kyung Min Lim, researcher at Konkuk University; Prof. Hyun-Jin Shin of the Department of Ophthalmology at Konkuk University Medical Center; Prof. Ssang-Goo Cho of Konkuk University; and Dr. Ahmed.

Joint Research Team Develops Exosome Biomaterial from Orbicularis Oculi Muscle Tissue

Potential Applications Include Repair of Damaged Tissue from Facial Burns, Wrinkle Improvement, and Skin Regeneration

[Health in News] A joint research team led by Prof. Hyun-Jin Shin of the Department of Ophthalmology at Konkuk University Medical Center and Prof. Ssang-Goo Cho of the Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biotechnology at Konkuk University has developed an exosome-based biomaterial derived from stem cells isolated from orbicularis oculi muscle tissue, which is normally discarded after eyelid procedures such as ptosis correction and double-eyelid surgery.

Exosomes are nanoscale extracellular vesicles (EVs) secreted by cells. Because they carry biological activities characteristic of their cells of origin, they are attracting attention as highly active biomaterials with broad therapeutic potential.

Prof. Shin said, “Eyelid surgery is commonly performed to alleviate discomfort caused by conditions such as drooping eyelids or entropion, and substantial amounts of orbicularis oculi muscle tissue are discarded during these procedures. We isolated and established stem cells from this tissue and, for the first time, demonstrated a range of biological activities of orbicularis oculi muscle stem cell-derived exosomes on skin cells.”

Adult stem cells, which contribute to the regeneration and functional recovery of damaged tissues, have been the subject of extensive research. Since Hearticellgram-AMI, the first stem cell therapy, received marketing approval from Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety in 2011, a growing number of stem cell therapies have been developed.

However, while demand for stem cell-based regenerative materials continues to rise with population aging, the availability of conventional adult stem cell sources, such as umbilical cord, adipose tissue, and bone marrow, is becoming increasingly limited, creating challenges in securing sufficient tissue supplies.

Prof. Shin said, “This study identifies a new source of stem cells for therapeutic development from the large amounts of orbicularis oculi muscle tissue that would otherwise be discarded.”

Orbicularis oculi muscle tissue can be used in skin grafts and local flaps to repair wounds and damaged tissues. It has also been reported to play an important role in tissue transplantation and repair during eyelid reconstruction surgery.

Stem cells obtained from orbicularis oculi muscle tissue exhibit characteristics of mesenchymal stem cells, including the ability to differentiate into muscle, adipose, and cartilage tissues. Exosomes isolated from these cells have shown potential for suppressing skin-cell aging, providing antioxidant effects, inhibiting melanin production, reducing wrinkles, and promoting skin regeneration.

The research team led by Prof. Shin and Prof. Cho—who also serves as Director of the KU Institute of Science and Technology and CEO of StemExOne—confirmed that its 3D dynamic stem cell culture technology can produce orbicularis oculi stem cell-conditioned medium containing high concentrations of exosomes.

By addressing one of the major challenges in exosome therapeutics—large-scale production—the team is accelerating development of exosome-based treatments. Some of the related findings have been published in Antioxidants, an SCIE-indexed journal ranked within the top 10% of the medicinal chemistry field.

Prof. Shin said, “Refractory conditions such as diabetic foot ulcers, pressure ulcers, and skin necrosis involve impaired microcirculation and changes in capillary permeability, leading to disrupted cellular metabolism, cell necrosis, inflammation, and eventually loss of skin and muscle tissue. Orbicularis oculi stem cell-derived exosomes could potentially be developed into new therapeutics that support angiogenesis and anti-inflammatory activity.”

Prof. Cho added, “This technology has considerable novelty, productivity, and application potential because it repurposes tissue that would otherwise be discarded. We are currently pursuing Korean patent and PCT applications for the technology and plan to establish a commercialization platform through StemExOne.”

[Health in News, Reporter Kim Ji-ye]
Email: press@healthinnews.co.kr

Source: Health in News