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Biotherapies/Cellular Therapies and Immunotherapies - Cord blood (including cord tissue and perinatal cells)

(P-BT-22) Innovative Use of Cord Blood–Derived Platelet-Poor Plasma for the Treatment of Immune-Mediated Ocular Surface Pathologies

Sunday, October 26, 2025
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM  PT

    Presenting Author(s)

  • SV

    Stefania Villa

    Department of Transfusion Medicine and Hematology, Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda - Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico Milano, Milan, Italy;, United States

Background/Case Studies: Dry Eye Disease (DED) is a prevalent ocular surface disorder characterized by tear film instability and inflammation, particularly affecting women and the elderly. In moderate to severe or autoimmune-related cases (e.g., Sjögren’s syndrome, ocular Graft-versus-Host Disease), conventional lubricants often prove insufficient. Blood-derived eye drops, such as serum and platelet-poor plasma (PPP), have demonstrated efficacy in alleviating symptoms and promoting corneal healing. PPP facilitates epithelial repair through the action of various growth factors (GFs). This study aimed to formulate and characterize an innovative ophthalmic preparation based on PPP derived from cord blood (CB) fractionation. CB was selected for its unique profile of regenerative and immunomodulatory factors, potentially offering advantages over adult-derived products for the treatment of severe ocular surface disorders.

Study

Design/Methods: CB-PPP units were fractionated using BioNest ABC kits (White Nest Pharma, Milan, Italy), designed to separate CB into its main components. Selected immunomodulatory and regenerative cytokines—including EGF, bFGF, PDGF-AA, and VEGF—were quantified using Luminex technology (Luminex Corporation, USA). Analyses were conducted in collaboration with Banc de Sang i Teixits (BST, Barcelona), to ensure consistency and validate the results.

Results/Findings: The processed CB-PPP units (n=20) had a mean volume of 53.8 ± 6.9 mL, with a platelet concentration of 7.6 ± 3.6 × 10⁹/L, a white blood cell concentration of 0.06 ± 0.03 × 10⁹/L, and a red blood cell content of 0.0 ± 0.0 × 10¹²/L. Growth factor quantification by Luminex (mean ± SD) showed the following concentrations: EGF 23.94 ± 22.62 pg/mL, VEGF 76.29 ± 41.63 pg/mL, bFGF 7.60 ± 5.08 pg/mL, and PDGF-AA 1,072.41 ± 937.96 pg/mL.

Conclusions: This study represents an initial step toward the development of CB-PPP as a novel ophthalmic therapy. The favorable biological profile, including the presence of regenerative and immunomodulatory GFs, supports its potential for promoting corneal healing and treating ocular surface disorders. These findings confirm the feasibility of producing a standardized ophthalmic preparation from CB-PPP and lay the groundwork for future pre-clinical and clinical investigations aimed at evaluating its safety and therapeutic efficacy.