Journal
INVESTIGATIVE OPHTHALMOLOGY & VISUAL SCIENCE
Volume 46, Issue 5, Pages 1626-1631Publisher
ASSOC RESEARCH VISION OPHTHALMOLOGY INC
DOI: 10.1167/iovs.04-1263
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PURPOSE. To isolate precursors of human corneal endothelial cells (HCECs) in vitro. METHODS. HCECs were subjected to a sphere-forming assay in which spheres floated in serum-free medium containing growth factors. To promote differentiation, the isolated sphere colonies were plated in dishes coated with poly-L-lysine (PLL)/ laminin or fetal bovine endothelium extracellular matrix. Marker expression of neural and mesenchymal cells was examined in the sphere colonies and their progenies by immunocytochemistry and/or reverse transcription - polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Adherent differentiated cells from the sphere colonies were evaluated morphologically and functionally. RESULTS. HCECs formed primary and secondary spherical colonies, as shown by sphere-forming assay in vitro. The colonies expressed nestin, beta 3-tublin, glial fibrillary acidic protein, and alpha-smooth muscle actin on immunocytochemistry. The progeny, proliferating on extracellular matrix derived from bovine corneal endothelium, but not on PLL/laminin-coated and noncoated dishes, expressed nestin and beta 3-tublin. These markers were confirmed by RT-PCR. Adherent differentiated cells from the sphere colonies had an HCEC-like hexagonal shape and satisfactory transport activity that is essential in HCECs. CONCLUSIONS. These findings indicate that the HCEC contains precursor cells with a propensity to differentiate into HCECs and that these cells can also produce neuronal and mesenchymal cell proteins.
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