Reseachers from Harvard University have developed a way to grow corneas from stem cells. The cornea is the outermost layer that covers the front of the eye and is responsible for shielding other parts of the eye from outside particles while also controlling and focusing the entry of light.
A number of Harvard-affiliated organizations and hospitals worked on the research, including the Massachusetts Ear/Schepens Eye Research Institute, Boston Children's Hospital, Brigham and Women's Hospital, and the VA Boston Healthcare System. They believe their findings will help burn patients, victims of chemical injury, and others with damaging eye diseases.
The researchers used key tracer molecules to track the cells in the eye that are responsible for regeneration. These limbal stem cells (LSC) work to maintain, repair, and renew the eye's cornea every few weeks. Their function is essential for healthy eyesight. After identifying the key tracer on the limbal stem cells, the researchers transplanted them into mice and created full functioning corneas.
"Limbal stem cells are very rare, and successful transplants are dependent on these rare cells," said Bruce Ksander of Mass. Eye and Ear, co-lead author on the study, in this Harvard Gazette article. "This finding will now make it much easier to restore the corneal surface. It's a very good example of basic research moving quickly to a translational application."
Without these cells, the cornea can be severely damaged, resulting in disease or injury to the eye and even blindness. The researchers discovered ABCB5 - the key tracer molecule - which is present on the LSCs. It is then 'tagged' in order to single out the presence of these cells. This process using molecular flags has helped scientists identify and keep track of various cells that are difficult to find.
The study, "ABCB5 is a limbal stem cell gene require for corneal development and repair," was published in the journal Nature on Wednesday. The research was funded by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, the Veterans Administration, the Harvard Stem Cell Institute, the National Cancer Institute, the Department of Defense, and others.
The team hopes to continue the research so they can eventually use the process as therapy on humans. You can read more about the study in this BBC News article.
