Human limbal stem cells produce transit amplifying progenitors that migrate centripetally to regenerate the corneal epithelium. Coexpression of CCAAT enhancer binding protein delta (C/EBPdelta), Bmi1, and DeltaNp63alpha identifies mitotically quiescent limbal stem cells, which generate holoclones in culture. Upon corneal injury, a fraction of these cells switches off C/EBPdelta and Bmi1, prolif...

This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of the novel simple limbal epithelial transplantation (SLET) technique, which reduces the risk of iatrogenic limbal stem cell deficiency in the donor eye. Four patients with total unilateral limbal stem cell deficiency received a limbal graft, measuring 4 mm × 2 mm, from the contralateral healthy eye in a single surgical procedure. The graft was di...

The regenerated epithelium derived from limbal epithelium was histologically and biochemically compared with epithelia regenerated from corneal and bulbar conjunctival epithelia. The histologic results indicated that regenerated epithelium of limbal origin increased in thickness with time after healing and showed no goblet cell appearance on the cornea. This suggests that regenerated epithelium...

PURPOSE To explore the roles of STAT3 in the regulation of ΔNp63-dependent proliferation and differentiation of rabbit limbal keratinocytes. METHODS siRNAs were designed to specifically suppress the expression of STAT3 and ΔNp63, and their effects on limbal epithelial cell proliferation and differentiation were examined. Ectopically expressed ΔNp63 was used to compensate for the decreased end...

The authors examined immunofluorescently the specific cytokeratin staining patterns of corneal, limbal, and conjunctival epithelium with PKK-1, 8.12, 4.62, and 8.60 monoclonal anticytokeratin antibodies. Observations were made on unfixed frozen postmortem human tissue. The PKK-1 antibody stain was observed in all layers of corneal epithelium but only in suprabasal layers of limbal and conjuncti...

The limbus is a narrow band of tissue that encircles the cornea, the transparent 'window' into the eye. The outermost layer of the cornea is the epithelium, which is necessary for clear vision. The limbus acts as a 'reservoir' for limbal stem cells which maintain and regenerate the corneal epithelium. It also functions as a barrier to the conjunctiva and its blood vessels. Limbal stem cell defi...

BACKGROUND The tumor suppressor gene p53 is expressed without apoptosis in the limbal basal stem cells of all pterygia and limbal tumors and most pingueculae from which these growths seem to originate. Oncogenic human papillomaviruses (HPVs) have been found in pterygia and limbal tumors, and HPV and p53 overexpression commonly coexist in oropharyngeal and penile carcinomas. OBJECTIVE To searc...

PURPOSE To study the expression and cellular distribution of multiple S100A genes and proteins in normal corneal-limbal epithelium and ocular surface squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) tissue. METHODS Normal corneal-limbal tissue was obtained from the Lions Eye Bank, Tampa, FL. Ocular surface SCC tissues were excised from patients undergoing surgery at Singapore National Eye Centre. S100A mRNA exp...

Transplantation of cultivated limbal epithelium on substrates such as amniotic membrane is an established treatment for severe ocular surface disease with limbal stem cell deficiency. In this study, we adapted an established method to generate sheets of limbal epithelium on amniotic membrane and characterized the cells contained in these sheets and tested them for safety with regard to microbia...

PURPOSE To correlate a biomicroscopic evaluation, an in vivo confocal microscopy examination, and impression cytologic findings of the corneal center and sclerocorneal limbus after cultured limbal stem cell transplantation and to test the effectiveness of in vivo confocal microscopy as a diagnostic procedure in ocular surface cell therapy reconstructive surgery. METHODS Six eyes of six patien...