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Severe corneal disorders due to infective aetiologies, trauma, chemical injuries, and chronic cicatricial inflammations, are among vision-threatening pathologies leading to permanent corneal scarring. The whole cornea or lamellar corneal transplantation is often used as a last resort to restore vision. However, limited autologous tissue sources and potential adverse post-allotransplantation sequalae urge the need for more robust and strategic alternatives. Contemporary management using cultivated corneal epithelial transplantation has paved the way for utilizing stem cells as a regenerative potential. Humaninduced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) can generate ectodermal progenitors and potentially be used for ocular surface regeneration. This review summarizes the process of corneal morphogenesis and the signaling pathways underlying the development of corneal epithelium, which is key to translating the maturation and differentiation process of hiPSCs in vitro. The current state of knowledge and methodology for driving efficient corneal epithelial cell differentiation from pluripotent stem cells are highlighted., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)

Organ and tissue transplantation are limited by the scarcity of donated organs or tissue sources. The success of transplantation is limited by the risk of disease transmission and immunological- related rejection. There is a need for new strategies and innovative solutions to make transplantation readily available, safer and with less complications to increase the success rates. Accelerating progress in stem cell biology and biomaterials development have pushed tissue and organ engineering to a higher level. Among stem cells repertoire, Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSC) are gaining interest and recognized as a cell population of choice. There is accumulating evidence that MSC growth factors, its soluble and insoluble proteins are involved in several key signaling pathways to promote tissue development, cellular differentiation and regeneration. MSC as multipotent non-hematopoietic cells with paracrine factors is advantageous for regenerative therapies. In this review, we discussed and summarized the important features of MSC including its immunomodulatory properties, mechanism of homing in the direction of tissue injury, licensing of MSC and the role of MSC soluble factors in cell-free therapy. Special consideration is highlighted on the rapidly growing research interest on the roles of MSC in ocular surface regeneration., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)