Researchers shed light on repair mechanism for severe corneal injuries

In cases of severe ocular trauma involving the cornea, wound healing occurs following intervention, but at the cost of opaque scar tissue formation and damaged vision. Recent research has shown that mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) -- which can differentiate into a variety of cells, including bone, cartilage, muscle, and fat cells -- are capable of returning clarity to scarred corneas; however, the mechanisms by which this happens remained a mystery - until now.