Long-term maintenance of limbal epithelial progenitor cells using rho kinase inhibitor and keratinocyte growth factor.

ABSTRACT: Corneal epithelial stem cells are located in the limbus, the junction between the cornea and the conjunctiva. A limbal epithelium model in vitro would be useful for the study of epithelial stem cells, as well as improving the quality of cultivated epithelial sheets for the treatment of limbal stem cell deficiency. In this study, we succeeded in constructing a limbal epithelium-like structure that could be maintained for at least 5 months in vitro. We modified conventional medium by replacing epidermal growth factor with keratinocyte growth factor (KGF) and adding Y-27632, a rho kinase inhibitor. Using this medium, epithelial cells freshly isolated from human limbus were cocultured with human mesenchymal stem cell-derived feeder cells. Cells formed a stratified layer without air exposure, a

SUBMITTER: Miyashita H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3785260 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature