Differences in sphere-forming cells from keratoconic and normal corneal tissue: Implications for keratoconus pathogenesis.

Keratoconus is primarily an anterior corneal disorder of unclear aetiology. Stem cells may play a role in the perpetuation of keratoconus, although this has yet to be definitively established. Sphere-forming cells from normal human donor corneas have previously been shown to be a heterogenous mix of epithelial, stromal, stem and progenitor cell components which have potential for treatment of corneal dystrophies.

Sphere-forming corneal cells repopulate dystrophic keratoconic stroma: Implications for potential therapy.

Background: Keratoconus is a degenerative corneal disease characterised by aberrant cell behaviour and loss of matrix that can result in vision loss. Cells extracted from peripheral corneas can form stem cell-enriched spheres, which have shown the potential to repopulate the normal peripheral corneal stroma upon sphere implantation but have not been previously studied in keratoconic tissue.

Aim: To investigate the therapeutic potential of stem cell-enriched spheres formed from extracted peripheral human corneal cells when introduced to keratoconic tissue.

Implantation of Human Peripheral Corneal Spheres into Cadaveric Human Corneal Tissue.

Stem and progenitor cells isolated from human limbal tissue can be cultured as spheres. These spheres have potential for use as transplantable elements for the repopulation of corneal tissue ( Mathan , 2016 ). Herein we describe the detailed protocol for the implantation of human corneal spheres into cadaveric human corneal tissue.

Sphere-forming cells from peripheral cornea demonstrate the ability to repopulate the ocular surface.

Background: The limbus forms the outer rim of the cornea at the corneoscleral junction and harbours a population of stem cells for corneal maintenance. Injuries to the limbus, through disease or accidents such as chemical injuries or burns, may lead to significant visual impairment due to depletion of the native stem cells of the tissue.

Methods: Sphere-forming cells were isolated from peripheral cornea for potential use as transplantable elements for limbal stem cell repopulation and limbal reconstruction.

Sphere-forming cells from peripheral cornea demonstrate a wound-healing response to injury.

The cornea is the initial refractive interface of the eye. Its transparency is critical for clear vision and is maintained by stem cells which also act to repair injury inflicted by external insults, such as chemical and thermal burns. Damage to the epithelium compromises its clarity and can reduce or eliminate the stem cell population, diminishing the ability for self-repair.

Sphere-forming cells from peripheral cornea demonstrate polarity and directed cell migration.

Sphere-forming cells from peripheral cornea represent a potential source of progenitor cells for treatment of corneal degenerative diseases. Control of cellular repopulation on transplantable substrates is important to prevent uncontrolled growth in unfavourable directions. The coordination of cellular outgrowth may be in response to environmental cues and/or cellular signals from other spheres.

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.

Efficacy and safety assessment of a novel ultraviolet C device for treating corneal bacterial infections.

Background: A prototype solid-state Ultraviolet-C (UVC) LED device may be useful in the treatment of corneal microbial infections, as UVC is commonly used for eradicating bacteria, fungi and viruses in other settings. This study assessed the efficacy of 265 nm UVC from this LED, on four different bacterial strains, and investigated the consequences of corresponding exposures on human corneal epithelial cells in vitro.

Methods: Agar plate lawns of Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Streptococcus pyogenes were exposed to a 4.