The Sheep Cornea: Structural and Clinical Characteristics.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to perform qualitative and quantitative analyses to characterize the corneas of young, healthy sheep.

Materials And Methods: Eight healthy male sheep, 10 months to 1 year of age, were included as experimental subjects. Central corneal thickness was measured using a handheld pachymeter, and an Easygraph corneal topographer provided topographic maps.

Comparison of stem cell properties in cell populations isolated from human central and limbal corneal epithelium.

Purpose: The limbus of the cornea is said to be the niche for limbal stem cells (LSCs) and the primary source of corneal epithelial maintenance. Previously, we aimed to have shown that central human epithelial cells are capable of corneal regeneration after wounding. In this study, we aimed to investigate whether central epithelial cells in human corneas have LSC properties.

A novel method of organotypic brain slice culture using connexin-specific antisense oligodeoxynucleotides to improve neuronal survival.

Organotypic slice cultures obtained from immature brain tissue represent a well-established model system for neuroscience research. Current culture methods, however, do not allow long-term culture of mature brain slices. Slice cultures from mature animals would provide an in vitro experimental environment suitable for investigation of neuropathologies, which in human, predominate in aged individuals.