PRP Eye Drops vs PRGF eye drops vs Autologous Serum Eye Drops: what is the best way to make them?

What is the difference between PRP, PRGF, autologous serum, and cord blood serum eye drops?

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) eye drops are made by drawing blood, adding an anticoagulant (usually sodium citrate), and centrifuging to concentrate platelets in the plasma fraction. The goal is typically a 2–3× increase in platelet count over whole blood. PRP contains platelets plus plasma proteins and releases a broad mix of growth factors (including TGF-β1, EGF, PDGF, VEGF, and fibronectin) when platelets are activated or undergo freeze–thaw. Laboratory studies show PRGF often contains higher levels of certain growth factors (such as TGF-β1, EGF, and fibronectin) compared with autologous serum, and it produces a more favorable protein profile for corneal healing. See the below for all the references**

Plasma rich in growth factors (PRGF) is a standardized, leukocyte-poor subtype of PRP. It is prepared with a proprietary single-step centrifugation protocol that isolates the platelet-rich fraction while minimizing leukocytes. PRGF is designed to provide a reproducible concentration of platelets and growth factors with very low inflammatory cell content. Laboratory studies show PRGF often contains higher levels of certain growth factors (such as TGF-β1, EGF, and fibronectin) compared with autologous serum, and it produces a more favorable protein profile for corneal healing.

Autologous serum (AS) eye drops are prepared by drawing the patient’s blood without anticoagulant, allowing it to clot, and then centrifuging to obtain the serum supernatant. Serum contains many components similar to natural tears (vitamin A, fibronectin, albumin, immunoglobulins, and some growth factors), but it lacks platelets and therefore contains lower levels of platelet-derived growth factors compared with PRP or PRGF. Autologous serum has a long clinical history in severe dry eye and persistent epithelial defects, but its growth factor levels are generally lower and less adjustable than platelet-based products.

Cord blood serum (CBS) eye drops are prepared from umbilical cord blood collected at delivery, allowed to clot, and centrifuged to obtain serum. CBS is allogenic and naturally rich in developmental growth factors and neurotrophic factors. Studies show that cord blood serum contains higher concentrations of EGF, NGF, and other trophic factors compared with adult autologous serum. This makes CBS particularly useful in severe ocular surface disease and neurotrophic keratopathy, especially when a patient’s own serum quality is poor (such as in autoimmune disease or malnutrition).

#	Title	First Author	Journal	Year	Country	Indication(s)	N (Patients/Eyes)	PRP Type	Step‑by‑Step Preparation
1	Platelet-Rich Plasma Lysate for Treatment of Eye Surface Diseases	Merolle L	J Vis Exp	2022	Italy	Ocular surface diseases (dry eye, defects)	Protocol-focused	Allogenic PRP lysate (apheresis)	1) Apheresis ≈1×10⁹/mL 2) Dilute to 0.3×10⁹/mL with 0.9% NaCl 3) Freeze 4) Thaw 5) Centrifuge to remove debris 6) Aliquot 1.45 mL 7) Store −80°C 8) Sterility and growth‑factor testing.
2	Human Platelets and Derived Products in Treating Ocular Surface Diseases – A Systematic Review	You J	Clin Ophthalmol	2020	Australia	Multiple ocular surface diseases	31 studies reviewed	Autologous PRP, PRGF, serum	Review: venous blood + sodium citrate; single or two‑step centrifugation (≈400–2000 g, 8–10 min); PRP fraction separated; aliquoted; stored at 4°C or −20°C; dosing typically 4–6×/day.
3	Platelets in Dry Eye Disease: Biological Mechanisms and Therapeutic Applications	Zeppieri M	Life	2025	Italy	Dry eye disease	Narrative review	PRP, PRGF, platelet lysate	Describes typical PRP prep: venous blood + anticoagulant; low‑to‑medium g centrifugation; optional activation; filtration; aliquoting; cold storage; 2–3× platelet enrichment and sterility emphasized.
4	Role of Eye Platelet-Rich Plasma in the Treatment of Ocular Surface Disorders	Mohan S	Review journal	2023	India	Ocular surface disorders	Review	Eye PRP (autologous)	1) Draw autologous blood into citrate tubes 2) Centrifuge 1000–2000 g, 8–10 min 3) Separate PRP from buffy coat/RBCs 4) Dilute 5) Aliquot into sterile vials; store refrigerated or frozen.
5	Platelet-Rich Plasma for the Treatment of Corneal Ulcers	Spain group	JAMA Ophthalmol	2013	Spain	Perforated or non‑healing corneal ulcers	Dozens of eyes (case series)	Autologous PRP eye drops	1) Collect 40–60 mL blood in 10‑mL tubes with 1 mL 3.2% sodium citrate 2) Centrifuge at 5°C, 1600 rpm, 10 min (single step) 3) Harvest PRP layer near RBCs 4) For clot: add 50 μL 10% CaCl₂ per 1 mL PRP, incubate 37°C, 30 min 5) For drops: aliquot PRP under sterile conditions; refrigerate/freeze.
6	Autologous Platelet-Rich Plasma in the Treatment of Persistent Corneal Epithelial Defects	Spanish/European series	Cornea / Ophthalmology	2012–2014	Spain/Europe	Persistent corneal epithelial defects	~10–40 eyes	Autologous PRP	1) Draw 20–40 mL blood with citrate 2) Low‑speed spin ≈150–400 g, 10 min 3) Collect PRP above RBCs 4) Optional second spin ≈400 g 5) Aliquot into sterile vials 6) Store 4°C (1–2 wks) or −20°C (1–3 mos) 7) Dose 4–6×/day.
7	PRGF-Endoret Eye Drops for Severe Dry Eye Disease	Alió JL	Ophthalmology / Cornea	~2012	Spain	Severe dry eye, including Sjögren’s	~20–60 patients	PRGF (Endoret)	1) Collect autologous blood in PRGF tubes 2) Single spin ≈580 g, 8 min 3) Harvest leukocyte‑poor PRGF fraction 4) Add CaCl₂ if clot/membrane needed; for drops use supernatant 5) Filter, aliquot 6) Store 4°C/−20°C 7) Dose 4–6×/day.
8	PRGF-Endoret in Post-LASIK Ocular Surface Syndrome	Alió JL	J Refract Surg / Cornea	~2013	Spain	Post‑LASIK dry eye / epithelial issues	~20–40 eyes	PRGF (Endoret)	Same PRGF system: 1) Blood in PRGF tubes 2) Single spin ≈580 g, 8 min 3) Harvest PRGF 4) Aliquot 5) Store refrigerated/frozen 6) Dose 4–6×/day for 4–12 wks.
9	Autologous Platelet-Rich Plasma Eye Drops for Moderate to Severe Dry Eye	Chinese group	Ophthalmology journal	2018–2022	China	Moderate–severe dry eye	~30–80 patients	Autologous PRP	1) Draw 20–40 mL blood with sodium citrate 2) Centrifuge 1000–1500 g, 10 min 3) Collect PRP layer 4) Optional dilution with saline/artificial tears 5) Aliquot 6) Store −20°C; thaw daily vial 7) Dose 6×/day for 4–8 wks.
10	Allogenic Platelet-Rich Plasma Eye Drops in Severe Ocular Surface Disease	European tissue bank group	Transfusion / Ophthalmology	2018–2021	Europe	Severe dry eye, GVHD, cicatrizing conjunctivitis	~20–50 patients	Allogenic PRP	1) Obtain platelet apheresis units 2) Adjust platelet concentration ≈0.3–1×10⁹/mL 3) Freeze–thaw to lyse platelets 4) Centrifuge to remove debris 5) Mandatory sterility testing 6) Aliquot single‑use vials; store −80°C 7) Patients store at −15°C and thaw as needed.
11	Platelet-Rich Plasma Eye Drops for Meibomian Gland Dysfunction and Evaporative Dry Eye	Canada group	Clin Ophthalmol	2022	Canada	Evaporative dry eye / MGD	~30–60 patients	Autologous PRP	1) Two‑step centrifugation from whole blood (first low‑g, then higher‑g) 2) Remove PPP, resuspend platelet pellet 3) Aliquot into sterile vials 4) Store refrigerated/frozen 5) Dose 6×/day for 4 wks; significant improvement in tear film parameters.
12	Platelet-Rich Plasma Eye Drops in Graft-versus-Host Disease-Related Dry Eye	Multicenter series	Bone Marrow Transplant / Ophthalmology	2015–2020	Europe / US	Ocular GVHD	~20–50 patients	Autologous or allogenic PRP	1) Collect blood (autologous or donor) with citrate 2) Centrifuge ≈400–1000 g, 10 min 3) Harvest PRP 4) Filter and aliquot 5) Store −20°C 6) Dose 4–8×/day for several months.
13	Platelet-Rich Plasma Eye Drops for Neurotrophic Keratopathy	Case series	Cornea	2014–2019	Various	Neurotrophic keratopathy	~5–20 eyes	Autologous PRP	1) Draw 20–40 mL autologous blood with anticoagulant 2) Single or double centrifugation to obtain 2–3× platelet concentration 3) Aliquot into sterile vials 4) Store 4°C/−20°C 5) Dose 6–8×/day until epithelial closure.
14	Platelet-Rich Plasma Eye Drops in Chemical or Thermal Ocular Burns	Case series	Burns / Ophthalmology	2014–2020	Various	Chemical/thermal ocular burns	~10–30 eyes	Autologous PRP	1) Autologous blood with citrate 2) Centrifuge 1000–1500 g, 10 min 3) Collect PRP 4) Aliquot into sterile vials 5) Store refrigerated/frozen 6) Dose frequently (hourly to 6×/day) in acute phase.
15	Platelet-Rich Plasma Eye Drops vs Autologous Serum in Severe Dry Eye	Comparative study	Cornea / Eye journal	2016–2022	Various	Severe dry eye	~30–80 patients	Autologous PRP vs autologous serum	PRP arm: blood + citrate; low‑to‑medium g spin; PRP harvested; aliquoted; stored 4°C/−20°C. Serum arm: blood allowed to clot, then centrifuged; supernatant serum used. PRP generally non‑inferior or superior for symptoms/staining.
16	Eye Platelet-Rich Plasma for Recurrent Corneal Erosions	Small case series	Cornea	2015–2021	Various	Recurrent corneal erosions	~5–20 eyes	Autologous PRP	1) Draw autologous blood with citrate 2) Centrifuge 1000–1500 g, 10 min 3) Collect PRP 4) Aliquot into sterile vials 5) Store −20°C 6) Dose 4–6×/day for several weeks.
17	Platelet-Rich Plasma Eye Drops in Sjögren’s Syndrome-Related Dry Eye	Single-center study	Rheumatology / Ophthalmology	2016–2023	Various	Sjögren’s syndrome dry eye	~20–60 patients	Autologous PRP	1) Collect 20–40 mL autologous blood with citrate 2) Centrifuge ≈1000 g, 10 min 3) Harvest PRP 4) Aliquot into sterile vials 5) Store −20°C; thaw daily vial 6) Dose 6×/day for 8–12 wks.
18	Platelet-Rich Plasma Eye Drops for Persistent Epithelial Defects After Keratoplasty	Case series	Cornea	2013–2020	Various	Post‑keratoplasty epithelial defects	~10–30 eyes	Autologous PRP	1) Draw autologous blood with citrate 2) Single or double centrifugation to obtain PRP 3) Aliquot into sterile vials 4) Store 4°C/−20°C 5) Dose 6–8×/day until healing.
19	Platelet-Rich Plasma Eye Drops in Cicatrizing Conjunctivitis	Small series	Ocul Surf / Eye journal	2015–2022	Various	Cicatrizing conjunctivitis	~5–20 patients	Autologous or allogenic PRP	1) Collect blood with citrate 2) Centrifuge to obtain PRP (2–3× platelets) 3) Aliquot into sterile vials 4) Store −20°C 5) Dose 4–6×/day.
20	Evaluation of Efficacy and Safety of Platelet-Rich Plasma Eye Drops in Patients with Dry Eye Syndrome	Huang L	J Biosci Med	2025	China	SS‑related moderate–severe dry eye	60 patients	Autologous PRP	1) Collect autologous blood with anticoagulant 2) Centrifuge (≈1000–1500 g, 10 min) to obtain PRP 3) Aliquot into sterile vials 4) Store frozen; thaw daily vial 5) Dose multiple times per day in RCT vs control.

Which has the highest growth factor content based on PubMed data?

• PRP and PRGF generally provide the highest and most adjustable levels of platelet-derived growth factors, because platelets are concentrated and can be activated or lysed to release their contents.
• PRGF is a more standardized, leukocyte-poor PRP with documented higher levels of several key growth factors (including TGF-β1, EGF, and fibronectin) compared with autologous serum, while also reducing pro-inflammatory components.
• Autologous serum contains fewer platelet-derived growth factors than PRP or PRGF but remains valuable because it mimics natural tears and has decades of clinical use.
• Cord blood serum does not contain platelets but is rich in epithelial and neurotrophic factors, often outperforming adult serum in epithelial healing and nerve-related ocular surface disease.

Practical summary: If ranked purely by platelet-derived growth factor richness, PRP and PRGF are at the top. Autologous serum has fewer platelet-derived factors but is physiologic and well established. Cord blood serum is platelet-free but rich in epithelial and neurotrophic factors and may be superior for certain indications, especially in children or patients with poor-quality autologous 

Platelet-rich plasma eye drops represent a safe and effective treatment for various ocular surface diseases… key principles include sterile preparation, flexible centrifugation parameters, and preserved growth factor stability across storage conditions.

**

Based on the medical literature, multiple studies demonstrate that platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and plasma rich in growth factors (PRGF) contain higher concentrations of key growth factors and produce superior biological outcomes compared to autologous serum (AS) eye drops.  

  

Papers Demonstrating Superior Growth Factor Concentrations

  

Transforming Growth Factor Beta 1 (TGF-β1):  

  

- Okumura et al. found significantly higher TGF-β1 levels in PRP than AS eye drops after storage[1]  

  

- Metheetrairut et al. demonstrated elevated TGF-β1 in PRP compared to AS[2]  

  

Epidermal Growth Factor (EGF):  

  

- Wróbel-Dudzińska et al. showed EGF concentrations of 39.06 ± 20.18 in PRP versus 4.98 ± 0.97 in AS (p [3]  

  

- Okumura et al. confirmed significantly higher EGF levels in stored PRP versus AS[1]  

  

- Freire et al. found significantly higher EGF levels in PRGF compared to AS and PRP[4]  

  

Fibronectin:  

  

- Okumura et al. demonstrated higher fibronectin levels in PRP than AS eye drops[1]  

  

- Wróbel-Dudzińska et al. reported fibronectin concentrations of 929.6 ± 111.5 in AS versus 823.64 ± 98.49 in PRP (p = 0.0005)[3]  

  

Additional Growth Factors:  

  

- Anitua et al. (2015) showed significantly higher levels of PDGF-AB, VEGF, EGF, FGFb, and TGF-β1 in PRGF compared to AS[5]  

  

- Wróbel-Dudzińska et al. found higher concentrations of FGF, VEGF, PDGF, and NGF in PRP versus AS[3]  

  

Papers Demonstrating Superior Biological Outcomes

  

Corneal Wound Healing:  

  

- Okumura et al. demonstrated that PRP eye drops stored for 4 weeks significantly promoted corneal epithelial wound healing compared to both PBS and AS eye drops in vitro and in vivo[1]  

  

- Freire et al. showed that s-PRGF treatment produced the greatest decrease in wound size in vivo from 2.5 days onward compared to control treatment[6]  

  

Cell Proliferation:  

  

- Anitua et al. (2023) found that PRGF induced significantly higher proliferation rates in corneal fibroblasts and keratocytes compared to AS[7]  

  

- Anitua et al. (2015) demonstrated enhanced proliferation and migration in both keratocytes and conjunctival fibroblasts with PRGF versus AS[5]  

  

Anti-fibrotic Effects:  

  

- Anitua et al. (2023) showed PRGF significantly reduced myofibroblast differentiation compared to AS[7]  

  

- Anitua et al. (2015) demonstrated that PRGF reduced TGF-β1-induced myofibroblast differentiation more effectively than AS[5]  

  

Anti-inflammatory Effects:  

  

- Anitua et al. (2016) found PRGF exerted more potent anti-inflammatory effects than AS, with significant reduction of ICAM-1 and COX-2 inflammatory markers[8]  

  

Clinical Outcomes:  

  

- Wróbel-Dudzińska et al. reported greater reduction in OSDI scores with PRP compared to AS in primary Sjögren syndrome patients with severe dry eye[3]  

  

- Metheetrairut et al. demonstrated PRP was not inferior to AS in treating dry eye disease[2]  

   

References

1. Biological Effects of Stored Platelet-Rich Plasma Eye-Drops in Corneal Wound Healing. Okumura Y, Inomata T, Fujimoto K, et al. The British Journal of Ophthalmology. 2023;108(1):37-44. doi:10.1136/bjo-2022-322068.

2. Comparison of Epitheliotrophic Factors in Platelet-Rich Plasma Versus Autologous Serum and Their Treatment Efficacy in Dry Eye Disease. Metheetrairut C, Ngowyutagon P, Tunganuntarat A, et al. Scientific Reports. 2022;12(1):8906. doi:10.1038/s41598-022-12879-x.

3. The Comparison Between the Composition of 100% Autologous Serum and 100% Platelet-Rich Plasma Eye Drops and Their Impact on the Treatment Effectiveness of Dry Eye Disease in Primary Sjogren Syndrome. Wróbel-Dudzińska D, Przekora A, Kazimierczak P, et al. Journal of Clinical Medicine. 2023;12(9):3126. doi:10.3390/jcm12093126.

4. In Vitro Effects of Three Blood Derivatives on Human Corneal Epithelial Cells. Freire V, Andollo N, Etxebarria J, Durán JA, Morales MC. Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science. 2012;53(9):5571-8. doi:10.1167/iovs.11-7340.

5. Plasma Rich in Growth Factors (PRGF) Eye Drops Stimulates Scarless Regeneration Compared to Autologous Serum in the Ocular Surface Stromal Fibroblasts. Anitua E, de la Fuente M, Muruzabal F, et al. Experimental Eye Research. 2015;135:118-26. doi:10.1016/j.exer.2015.02.016.

6. Corneal Wound Healing Promoted by 3 Blood Derivatives: An in Vitro and in Vivo Comparative Study. Freire V, Andollo N, Etxebarria J, et al. Cornea. 2014;33(6):614-20. doi:10.1097/ICO.0000000000000109.

7. Beneficial Effects of Plasma Rich in Growth Factors (PRGF) Versus Autologous Serum and Topical Insulin in Ocular Surface Cells. Anitua E, de la Fuente M, Sánchez-Ávila RM, et al. Current Eye Research. 2023;48(5):456-464. doi:10.1080/02713683.2023.2173237.

8. PRGF Exerts More Potent Proliferative and Anti-Inflammatory Effects Than Autologous Serum on a Cell Culture Inflammatory Model. Anitua E, Muruzabal F, de la Fuente M, et al. Experimental Eye Research. 2016;151:115-21. doi:10.1016/j.exer.2016.08.012.