Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT: Purpose
Limbal niche cells (LNCs) play a vital role in the maintenance of limbal epithelial stem/progenitor cells (LESCs). Four methods have been reported to isolate and expand LNCs: digestion by collagenase alone (C-LNC), collagenase following dispase removal of the limbal epithelium (DC-LNC), dissection of dispase-isolated limbal epithelial sheets (D-LNC), and explant cultures of limbal stromal tissues (Ex-LNC). This study aimed to isolate LNCs using those four methods and to compare their capacity to maintain LESCs.Methods
LNCs were isolated from the rat corneal limbus by the following methods: C-LNC, DC-LNC, D-LNC, and Ex-LNC. Quantitative real-time PCR and immunofluorescence staining were used to analyze the expression of embryonic stem cell (ESC) markers. The ability to maintain LESCs was assessed on the basis of colony-forming capacity and the expression of progenitor, proliferation, and differentiation markers in three-dimensional (3D) Matrigel and Transwell systems. Notch signaling of LESCs supported by different LNCs in Transwell inserts was analyzed by quantitative real-time PCR.Results
DC-LNCs exhibited lower expression of CK12 during isolation and expansion. Among P4-expanded LNCs, DC-LNCs expressed significantly higher levels of Sox2, Oct4, Nanog, and N-cadherin than C-LNCs, D-LNCs, and Ex-LNCs. Compared with other LNCs, DC-LNCs were more effective in maintaining LESCs with higher holoclone-forming efficiency, greater expression of ?Np63? and Ki67, and lower expression of CK12. DC-LNCs were also more capable of downregulating Notch signaling of LESCs.Conclusions
DC-LNCs were more effective in expressing ESC markers and maintaining LESCs compared to other LNCs. This study identifies an optimal method for the isolation of LNCs in tissue engineering and ocular surface reconstruction.
SUBMITTER: Xiao YT
PROVIDER: S-EPMC7745628 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Dec
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Xiao Yu-Ting YT Qu Jing-Yu JY Xie Hua-Tao HT Zhang Ming-Chang MC Zhao Xin-Yue XY
Investigative ophthalmology & visual science 20201201 14
<h4>Purpose</h4>Limbal niche cells (LNCs) play a vital role in the maintenance of limbal epithelial stem/progenitor cells (LESCs). Four methods have been reported to isolate and expand LNCs: digestion by collagenase alone (C-LNC), collagenase following dispase removal of the limbal epithelium (DC-LNC), dissection of dispase-isolated limbal epithelial sheets (D-LNC), and explant cultures of limbal stromal tissues (Ex-LNC). This study aimed to isolate LNCs using those four methods and to compare t ...[more]