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Merra A, Maurizi E, Pellegrini G. Impact of culture media on primary human corneal endothelial cells derived from old donors. Exp Eye Res 2024; 240:109815. [PMID: 38316204 DOI: 10.1016/j.exer.2024.109815] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2023] [Revised: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 02/07/2024]
Abstract
Corneal endothelial dysfunction is a major indication for corneal transplantation. However, a global shortage of donor corneal tissues and risks associated with corneal surgeries have prompted exploration of alternative options, including tissue-engineered grafts or cell injection therapy. Nonetheless, these approaches require a controlled culture of primary human corneal endothelial cells (HCEnCs). Although HCEnCs established from young donors are generally more proliferative and maintain a better phenotype, corneas from old donors are more frequently accessible from eye banks due to a lower corneal endothelial cell count than the necessary threshold required for transplantation. In this study, we investigated various culture media to evaluate which one is the most appropriate for stimulating the proliferation while maintaining cell morphology and function of HCEnCs derived from old donors (age >65 years). All experiments were performed on paired research-grade donor corneas, divided for the conditions under investigation in order to minimize the inter-donor variability. Cell morphology as well as expression of specific markers were assessed at both mRNA (CD166, SLC4A11, ATP1A1, COL8A1, α-SMA, CD44, COL1A1, CDKN2A, LAP2A and LAP2B) and protein (ZO-1, α-SMA, Ki67 and LAP2) levels. Results obtained showed how the Dual Media formulation maintained the hexagonal phenotype more efficiently than Single Medium, but cell size gradually increased with passages. In contrast, the Single Medium provided a higher proliferation rate and a prolonged in vitro expansion but acquired an elongated morphology. To summarize, Single medium and Dual media preserve morphology and functional phenotype of HCEnCs from old donor corneas at low passages while maintenance of the same cell features at high passages remains an active area of research. The new insights revealed within this work become particularly relevant considering that the elderly population a) is the main target of corneal endothelial therapy, b) represents the majority of corneal donors. Therefore, the proper expansion of HCEnCs from old donors is essential to develop novel personalised therapeutic strategies and reduce requirement of human corneal tissues globally.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessia Merra
- Holostem Terapie Avanzate S.r.l., Modena, Italy; Centre for Regenerative Medicine, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Eleonora Maurizi
- Centre for Regenerative Medicine, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy.
| | - Graziella Pellegrini
- Holostem Terapie Avanzate S.r.l., Modena, Italy; Centre for Regenerative Medicine, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
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Ting DSJ, Peh GSL, Adnan K, Mehta JS. Translational and Regulatory Challenges of Corneal Endothelial Cell Therapy: A Global Perspective. TISSUE ENGINEERING PART B-REVIEWS 2021; 28:52-62. [PMID: 33267724 DOI: 10.1089/ten.teb.2020.0319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Cell therapies are emerging as a unique class of clinical therapeutics in medicine. In 2015, Holoclar (ex vivo expanded autologous human corneal epithelial cells containing stem cells) gained the regulatory approval for treating limbal stem cell deficiency after chemical eye burn. This has set a precedent in ophthalmology and in medicine, reinforcing the therapeutic promise of cell therapy. However, to generalize and commercialize cell therapies on a global scale, stringent translational and regulatory requirements need to be fulfilled at both local and international levels. Over the past decade, the Singapore group has taken significant steps in developing human corneal endothelial cell (HCEnC) therapy for treating corneal endothelial diseases, which are currently the leading indication for corneal transplantation in many countries. Successful development of HCEnC therapy may serve as a novel solution to the current global shortage of donor corneas. Based on the experience in Singapore, this review aims to provide a global perspective on the translational and regulatory challenges for bench-to-bedside translation of cell therapy. Specifically, we discussed about the characterization of the critical quality attributes (CQA), the challenges that can affect the CQA, and the variations in the regulatory framework embedded within different regions, including Singapore, Europe, and the United States. Impact statement Functional corneal endothelium is critical to normal vision. Corneal endothelial disease-secondary to trauma, surgery, or pathology-represents an important cause of visual impairment and blindness in both developed and developing countries. Currently, corneal transplantation serves as the current gold standard for treating visually significant corneal endothelial diseases, although limited by the shortage of donor corneas. Over the past decade, human corneal endothelial cell therapy has emerged as a promising treatment option for treating corneal endothelial diseases. To allow widespread application of this therapy, significant regulatory challenges will need to be systematically overcome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Darren Shu Jeng Ting
- Academic Ophthalmology, Division of Clinical Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom.,Department of Ophthalmology, Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham, United Kingdom.,Singapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Gary S L Peh
- Singapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore, Singapore.,Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School, Singapore, Singapore
| | | | - Jodhbir S Mehta
- Singapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore, Singapore.,Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School, Singapore, Singapore.,Schools of Material Science and Engineering, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
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3
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Ghamari SH, Abbasi-Kangevari M, Tayebi T, Bahrami S, Niknejad H. The Bottlenecks in Translating Placenta-Derived Amniotic Epithelial and Mesenchymal Stromal Cells Into the Clinic: Current Discrepancies in Marker Reports. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2020; 8:180. [PMID: 32232037 PMCID: PMC7083014 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2020.00180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2019] [Accepted: 02/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Placenta-derived amniotic cells have prominent features for application in regenerative medicine. However, there are still discrepancies in the characterization of human amniotic epithelial and mesenchymal stromal cells. It seems crucial that the characterization of human amniotic membrane cells be investigated to determine whether there are currently discrepancies in their characterization reports. In addition, possible causes for the witnessed discrepancies need to be addressed toward paving the way for further clinical application and safer practices. The objective of this review is to investigate the marker characterization as well as the potential causes of the discrepancies in the previous reports on placenta-derived amniotic epithelial and mesenchymal stromal cells. The current discrepancies could be potentially due to reasons including passage number and epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT), cell heterogeneity, isolation protocols and cross-contamination, the region of cell isolation on placental disk, measuring methods, and gestational age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seyyed-Hadi Ghamari
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohsen Abbasi-Kangevari
- Student Research Committee, Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Tahereh Tayebi
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Soheyl Bahrami
- Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Experimental and Clinical Traumatology in AUVA Research Center, Vienna, Austria
| | - Hassan Niknejad
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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Nagymihály R, Veréb Z, Albert R, Sidney L, Dua H, Hopkinson A, Petrovski G. Cultivation and characterisation of the surface markers and carbohydrate profile of human corneal endothelial cells. Clin Exp Ophthalmol 2017; 45:509-519. [PMID: 28032398 DOI: 10.1111/ceo.12903] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2016] [Revised: 11/16/2016] [Accepted: 12/08/2016] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The study aims to characterise human corneal endothelial cell (HCEnC) cultures generated by the peel-and-digest method based on their surface protein/carbohydrate expression pattern. METHODS Quantitative polymerase chain reaction was used to compare expression of vimentin, CD90, Cytokeratin-19, ZO-1 and Claudin 14 in cultured HCEnC and cell line B4G12 versus stromal cells. Fluorescence-activated cell sorting was used to assess surface protein distribution of cultured and uncultured HCEnC. Distribution of surface proteins/carbohydrates was visualised by immunofluorescent and lectin staining. RESULTS Human corneal endothelial cell and B4G12 showed lower expression level for vimentin, CD90, Cytokeratin-19 compared with stromal cells; while ZO-1 was expressed in endothelial cells, Claudin 14 was detected in B4G12 only. Fluorescence-activated cell sorting analyses revealed CD166, CD47, CD44, CD54, CD73, CD90, CD105, CD106, CD112, CD146 and CD325 to be present, with CD34 to be absent from cultured HCEnC. Freshly isolated, non-cultivated HCEnCs were CD90, CD73, CD146 and CD325 positive. Carbohydrates were detected by lectins LCA, PHA E, PHA L, PSA, sWGA, Con A, RCA 120 and WGA, but cultured HCEnC showed negative for GSL I, SBA, DBA, PNA and UEA I. CONCLUSION Cultures established by the peel-and-digest method are probably not prone to stromal contamination, but the cells are likely to undergo endothelial-to mesenchymal transition as suggested by apparent morphological changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richárd Nagymihály
- Stem Cells and Eye Research Laboratory, Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Zoltán Veréb
- Stem Cells and Eye Research Laboratory, Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Réka Albert
- Stem Cells and Eye Research Laboratory, Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Laura Sidney
- Academic Department of Ophthalmology, Division of Clinical Neuroscience, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - Harminder Dua
- Academic Department of Ophthalmology, Division of Clinical Neuroscience, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - Andrew Hopkinson
- Academic Department of Ophthalmology, Division of Clinical Neuroscience, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - Goran Petrovski
- Stem Cells and Eye Research Laboratory, Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary.,Center for Eye Research, Department of Ophthalmology, Oslo University Hospital and University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
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Density-gradient centrifugation enables the purification of cultured corneal endothelial cells for cell therapy by eliminating senescent cells. Sci Rep 2015; 5:15005. [PMID: 26443440 PMCID: PMC4595725 DOI: 10.1038/srep15005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2015] [Accepted: 09/11/2015] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The corneal endothelium is essential for maintaining corneal transparency; therefore, corneal endothelial dysfunction causes serious vision loss. Tissue engineering-based therapy is potentially a less invasive and more effective therapeutic modality. We recently started a first-in-man clinical trial of cell-based therapy for treating corneal endothelial dysfunction in Japan. However, the senescence of corneal endothelial cells (CECs) during the serial passage culture needed to obtain massive quantities of cells for clinical use is a serious technical obstacle preventing the push of this regenerative therapy to clinical settings. Here, we show evidence from an animal model confirming that senescent cells are less effective in cell therapy. In addition, we propose that density-gradient centrifugation can eliminate the senescent cells and purify high potency CECs for clinical use. This simple technique might be applicable for other types of cells in the settings of regenerative medicine.
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Peh GSL, Chng Z, Ang HP, Cheng TYD, Adnan K, Seah XY, George BL, Toh KP, Tan DT, Yam GHF, Colman A, Mehta JS. Propagation of Human Corneal Endothelial Cells: A Novel Dual Media Approach. Cell Transplant 2015; 24:287-304. [DOI: 10.3727/096368913x675719] [Citation(s) in RCA: 108] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Corneal endothelium-associated corneal blindness is the most common indication for corneal transplantation. Restorative corneal transplant surgery is the only option to reverse the blindness, but a global shortage of donor material remains an issue. There are immense clinical interests in the development of alternative treatment strategies to alleviate current reliance on donor materials. For such endeavors, ex vivo propagation of human corneal endothelial cells (hCECs) is required, but current methodology lacks consistency, with expanded hCECs losing cellular morphology to a mesenchymal-like transformation. In this study, we describe a novel dual media culture approach for the in vitro expansion of primary hCECs. Initial characterization included analysis of growth dynamics of hCECs grown in either proliferative (M4) or maintenance (M5) medium. Subsequent comparisons were performed on isolated hCECs cultured in M4 alone against cells expanded using the dual media approach. Further characterizations were performed using immunocytochemistry, quantitative real-time PCR, and gene expression microarray. At the third passage, results showed that hCECs propagated using the dual media approach were homogeneous in appearance, retained their unique polygonal cellular morphology, and expressed higher levels of corneal endothelium-associated markers in comparison to hCECs cultured in M4 alone, which were heterogeneous and fibroblastic in appearance. Finally, for hCECs cultured using the dual media approach, global gene expression and pathway analysis between confluent hCECs before and after 7-day exposure to M5 exhibited differential gene expression associated predominately with cell proliferation and wound healing. These findings showed that the propagation of primary hCECs using the novel dual media approach presented in this study is a consistent method to obtain bona fide hCECs. This, in turn, will elicit greater confidence in facilitating downstream development of alternative corneal endothelium replacement using tissue-engineered graft materials or cell injection therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gary S. L. Peh
- Tissue Engineering and Stem Cell Group, Singapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Zhenzhi Chng
- A*STAR Institute of Medical Biology, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Heng-Pei Ang
- Tissue Engineering and Stem Cell Group, Singapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore, Singapore
| | | | - Khadijah Adnan
- Tissue Engineering and Stem Cell Group, Singapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Xin-Yi Seah
- Tissue Engineering and Stem Cell Group, Singapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Benjamin L. George
- Tissue Engineering and Stem Cell Group, Singapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Kah-Peng Toh
- Tissue Engineering and Stem Cell Group, Singapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Donald T. Tan
- Tissue Engineering and Stem Cell Group, Singapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore, Singapore
- Singapore National Eye Centre, Singapore, Singapore
- Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Gary H. F. Yam
- Tissue Engineering and Stem Cell Group, Singapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Alan Colman
- A*STAR Institute of Medical Biology, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Jodhbir S. Mehta
- Tissue Engineering and Stem Cell Group, Singapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore, Singapore
- Singapore National Eye Centre, Singapore, Singapore
- Duke Medical School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
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Butler KS, Adolphi NL, Bryant HC, Lovato DM, Larson RS, Flynn ER. Modeling the efficiency of a magnetic needle for collecting magnetic cells. Phys Med Biol 2014; 59:3319-35. [PMID: 24874577 DOI: 10.1088/0031-9155/59/13/3319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
As new magnetic nanoparticle-based technologies are developed and new target cells are identified, there is a critical need to understand the features important for magnetic isolation of specific cells in fluids, an increasingly important tool in disease research and diagnosis. To investigate magnetic cell collection, cell-sized spherical microparticles, coated with superparamagnetic nanoparticles, were suspended in (1) glycerine-water solutions, chosen to approximate the range of viscosities of bone marrow, and (2) water in which 3, 5, 10 and 100% of the total suspended microspheres are coated with magnetic nanoparticles, to model collection of rare magnetic nanoparticle-coated cells from a mixture of cells in a fluid. The magnetic microspheres were collected on a magnetic needle, and we demonstrate that the collection efficiency versus time can be modeled using a simple, heuristically-derived function, with three physically-significant parameters. The function enables experimentally-obtained collection efficiencies to be scaled to extract the effective drag of the suspending medium. The results of this analysis demonstrate that the effective drag scales linearly with fluid viscosity, as expected. Surprisingly, increasing the number of non-magnetic microspheres in the suspending fluid results increases the collection of magnetic microspheres, corresponding to a decrease in the effective drag of the medium.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kimberly S Butler
- Department of Pathology, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, 1 University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA
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Effect of amniotic fluid on the in vitro culture of human corneal endothelial cells. Exp Eye Res 2014; 122:132-40. [PMID: 24726921 DOI: 10.1016/j.exer.2014.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2013] [Revised: 03/16/2014] [Accepted: 04/01/2014] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The present study was designed to evaluate the effects of human amniotic fluid (HAF) on the growth of human corneal endothelial cells (HCECs) and to establish an in vitro method for expanding HCECs. HCECs were cultured in DMEM-F12 supplemented with 20% fetal bovine serum (FBS). Confluent monolayer cultures were trypsinized and passaged using either FBS- or HAF-containing media. Cell proliferation and cell death ELISA assays were performed to determine the effect of HAF on cell growth and viability. The identity of the cells cultured in 20% HAF was determined using immunocytochemistry (ICC) and real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) techniques to evaluate the expression of factors that are characteristic of HCECs, including Ki-67, Vimentin, Na+/K+-ATPase and ZO-1. HCEC primary cultures were successfully established using 20% HAF-containing medium, and these cultures demonstrated rapid cell proliferation according to the cell proliferation and death ELISA assay results. The ICC and real time RT-PCR results indicated that there was a higher expression of Na+/K+-ATPase and ZO-1 in the 20% HAF cell cultures compared with the control (20% FBS) (P < 0.05). The 20% HAF-containing medium exhibited a greater stimulatory effect on HCEC growth and could represent a potential enriched supplement for HCEC regeneration studies.
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Rajan MS. Surgical strategies to improve visual outcomes in corneal transplantation. Eye (Lond) 2014; 28:196-201. [PMID: 24384964 DOI: 10.1038/eye.2013.279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2013] [Accepted: 11/21/2013] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The recent years have brought about a sea change in the field of corneal transplantation with penetrating keratoplasty being phased to newer lamellar keratoplasty techniques for a variety of corneal pathology. Improved and innovative surgical techniques have allowed selective replacement of diseased host corneal layers with pre-prepared healthy donor corneal lamellae for anterior corneal disorders such as keratoconus and posterior corneal disorders such as Fuch's corneal endothelial dystrophy. The results of lamellar techniques are encouraging, with rapid visual rehabilitation and vastly reduced risk of immune-mediated transplant rejection. The techniques of deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty and Descemet's stripping endothelial keratoplasty (DSAEK) continue to evolve with advent of femtosecond lasers and newer concepts such as pre-conditioned donor corneas for Microthin DSAEK and Descemet's membrane keratoplasty. This review describes the current developments in lamellar keratoplasty, including the futuristic approach using cell therapy to restore vision in corneal blindness.
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Affiliation(s)
- M S Rajan
- 1] Cornea Unit, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Trust, Cambridge, UK [2] Vision and Eye Research Unit (VERU), Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, UK
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10
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Chng Z, Peh GSL, Herath WB, Cheng TYD, Ang HP, Toh KP, Robson P, Mehta JS, Colman A. High throughput gene expression analysis identifies reliable expression markers of human corneal endothelial cells. PLoS One 2013; 8:e67546. [PMID: 23844023 PMCID: PMC3699644 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0067546] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2012] [Accepted: 05/21/2013] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Considerable interest has been generated for the development of suitable corneal endothelial graft alternatives through cell-tissue engineering, which can potentially alleviate the shortage of corneal transplant material. The advent of less invasive suture-less key-hole surgery options such as Descemet’s Stripping Endothelial Keratoplasty (DSEK) and Descemet’s Membrane Endothelial Keratoplasty (DMEK), which involve transplantation of solely the endothelial layer instead of full thickness cornea, provide further impetus for the development of alternative endothelial grafts for clinical applications. A major challenge for this endeavor is the lack of specific markers for this cell type. To identify genes that reliably mark corneal endothelial cells (CECs) in vivo and in vitro, we performed RNA-sequencing on freshly isolated human CECs (from both young and old donors), CEC cultures, and corneal stroma. Gene expression of these corneal cell types was also compared to that of other human tissue types. Based on high throughput comparative gene expression analysis, we identified a panel of markers that are: i) highly expressed in CECs from both young donors and old donors; ii) expressed in CECs in vivo and in vitro; and iii) not expressed in corneal stroma keratocytes and the activated corneal stroma fibroblasts. These were SLC4A11, COL8A2 and CYYR1. The use of this panel of genes in combination reliably ascertains the identity of the CEC cell type.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenzhi Chng
- A*STAR Institute of Medical Biology, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Gary S. L. Peh
- Tissue Engineering and Stem Cell Group, Singapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore, Singapore
| | | | | | - Heng-Pei Ang
- Tissue Engineering and Stem Cell Group, Singapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Kah-Peng Toh
- Tissue Engineering and Stem Cell Group, Singapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Paul Robson
- Genome Institute of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Jodhbir S. Mehta
- Tissue Engineering and Stem Cell Group, Singapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore, Singapore
- Singapore National Eye Centre, Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School, Singapore, Singapore
- * E-mail: (JSM); (AC)
| | - Alan Colman
- A*STAR Institute of Medical Biology, Singapore, Singapore
- * E-mail: (JSM); (AC)
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Zavala J, López Jaime GR, Rodríguez Barrientos CA, Valdez-Garcia J. Corneal endothelium: developmental strategies for regeneration. Eye (Lond) 2013; 27:579-88. [PMID: 23470788 DOI: 10.1038/eye.2013.15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The main treatment available for restoration of the corneal endothelium is keratoplasty. This procedure is faced with several difficulties, including the shortage of donor tissue, post-surgical complications associated with the use of drugs to prevent immune rejection, and a significant increase in the occurrence of glaucoma. Recently, surgical procedures such as Descemet's stripping endothelial keratoplasty have focused on the transplant of corneal endothelium, yielding better visual results but still facing the need for donor tissue. The emergent strategies in the field of cell biology and tissue cultivation of corneal endothelial cells aim at the production of transplantable endothelial cell sheets. Cell therapy focuses on the culture of corneal endothelial cells retrieved from the donor, in the donor's cornea, followed by transplantation into the recipient. Recently, research has focused on overcoming the challenge of harvesting human corneal endothelial cells and the generation of new biomembranes to be used as cell scaffolds in surgical procedures. The use of corneal endothelial precursors from the peripheral cornea has also demonstrated to be effective and represents a valuable tool for reducing the risk of rejection in allogeneic transplants. Several animal model reports also support the use of adult stem cells as therapy for corneal diseases. Current results represent important progresses in the development of new strategies based on alternative sources of tissue for the treatment of corneal endotheliopathies. Different databases were used to search literature: PubMed, Google Books, MD Consult, Google Scholar, Gene Cards, and NCBI Books. The main search terms used were: 'cornea AND embryology AND transcription factors', 'human endothelial keratoplasty AND risk factors', '(cornea OR corneal) AND (endothelium OR endothelial) AND cell culture', 'mesenchymal stem cells AND cell therapy', 'mesenchymal stem cells AND cornea', and 'stem cells AND (cornea OR corneal) AND (endothelial OR endothelium)'.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Zavala
- Ophthalmology Research Chair, Tecnologico de Monterrey, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Monterrey, México
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12
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Feizi S. Magnetic cell separation for elimination of corneal stromal fibroblast contamination in corneal endothelial cell cultures. J Ophthalmic Vis Res 2012; 7:186. [PMID: 23275830 PMCID: PMC3520476] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
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