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The capacity of goat epidermal adult stem cells to reconstruct the damaged ocular surface of total LSCD and activate corneal genetic programs

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Abstract

Epidermal adult stem cells (EpiASCs) have the potential for unlimited proliferation and differentiation, however, the ability of these stem cells to activate corneal genetic programs in response to corneal stroma stimulation needs to be further validated. Herein, a feasible strategy was developed to reconstruct the damaged corneal surface in a goat model with total limbal stem cell deficiency (LSCD) by transplanting EpiASCs, which had been explanted and cultured from the skin of an adult ram goat and were then purified by selecting single cell-derived clones and cultivating them on a denuded human amniotic membrane (HAM). These artificial tissues were then successfully transplanted into ewe goats with total LSCD. Binding of EpiASCs to the base membrane of an EpiASCs-HAM-Sheet (EHS) indicated their proliferating status. After transplantation, the EpiASCs could survive in the host tissue and they reconstructed the damaged ocular surface of total LSCD. The crystal reconstructed corneal epithelium expressed CK3 and Pax-6 similar to normal corneal epithelium and expressed the Sry gene after transplantation. These results demonstrated that EpiASCs could be induced to differentiate into corneal epithelial cell types in a corneal microenvironment and had the ability to activate corneal genetic programs. This work offer a foundation for promoting tissue-engineered cornea into clinical application.

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Acknowledgements

This work was financially supported by a grant of National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 31240089), National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 31701121), Henan Province Science and Technology Research Project (No. 182102310667), Key Projects of Universities in Henan Province (No. 180211316170). This study was supported by Northwest A & F University. We are grateful to Professor Zhongying Dou, Jinlian Hua, Huayan Wang, Anming Lei and Yongjiang Ma.

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  1. Department of Life Science, Luoyang Normal University, Luoyang, 471934, Henan, China

    Pei Zhang, Xi-ya Ma, Dian-tong Huang & Xue-yi Yang

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  1. Pei Zhang
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  2. Xi-ya Ma
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  3. Dian-tong Huang
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Correspondence to Xue-yi Yang.

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Zhang, P., Ma, Xy., Huang, Dt. et al. The capacity of goat epidermal adult stem cells to reconstruct the damaged ocular surface of total LSCD and activate corneal genetic programs. J Mol Hist 51, 277–286 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10735-020-09879-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10735-020-09879-4

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