A Human Corneal Epithelial Cell Line Model for Limbal Stem Cell Biology and Limbal Immunobiology

: Limbal stem cell (LSC) deficiency is a visually debilitating condition caused by abnormal maintenance of LSCs. It is treated by transplantation of donor-derived limbal epithelial cells (LECs), the success of which depends on the presence and quality of LSCs within the transplant. Understanding the immunobiological responses of these cells within the transplants could improve cell engraftment and survival. However, human corneal rings used as a source of LSCs are not always readily available for research purposes. As an alternative, we hypothesized that a human telomerase-immortalized corneal epithelial cell (HTCEC) line could be used as a model for studying LSC immunobiology. HTCEC constitutively expressed human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I but not class II molecules. However, when stimulated by interferon-γ, HTCECs then expressed HLA class II antigens. Some HTCECs were also migratory in response to CXCL12 and expressed stem cell markers, Nanog, Oct4, and Sox2. In addition because both HTCECs and LECs contain side population (SP) cells, which are an enriched LSC population, we used these SP cells to show that some HTCEC SP cells coexpressed ABCG2 and ABCB5. HTCEC SP and non-side population (NSP) cells also expressed CXCR4, but the SP cells expressed higher levels. Both were capable of colony formation, but the NSP colonies were smaller and contained fewer cells. In addition, HTCECs expressed ΔNp63α. These results suggest the HTCEC line is a useful model for further understanding LSC biology by using an in vitro approach without reliance on a supply of human tissue. SIGNIFICANCE Limbal stem cell deficiency is a painful eye condition caused by abnormal maintenance of limbal stem cells. It is treated by transplantation of limbal epithelial cells derived from human tissue. The success of this treatment depends of the quality of the cells transplanted; however, some transplants fail. Understanding more about the immunobiology of these cells within the transplants could improve the outcomes. However, the human tissue needed as a supply of stem cells for this research is not readily available. As an alternative, a human telomerase-immortalized corneal epithelial cell line may be used. This study shows that this cell line contains limbal stem cells. Moreover, these cells have characteristics and immunobiological functions similar to those of tissue-derived limbal cells. These results suggest that this cell line is a useful model for improving the understanding of limbal stem cell biology.