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Corneal development associated with eyelid opening

James D Zieske1

  • 1Schepens Eye Research Institute and Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, USA. zieske@vision.eri.harvard.edu

The International Journal of Developmental Biology
|November 24, 2004
PubMed

Insights

Corneal development undergoes significant changes around eyelid opening in human embryos. This review details epithelial, stromal, and endothelial cell alterations and gene expression changes during this critical developmental window.

Area of Science:

  • Ophthalmology
  • Developmental Biology
  • Tissue Engineering

Background:

  • The human cornea begins developing around five weeks gestation.
  • Corneal development involves gradual changes until eyelid opening.
  • Rodents provide a model for studying eyelid opening-associated corneal development.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the major developmental changes in the cornea associated with eyelid opening.
  • To highlight alterations in cell proliferation, differentiation, and tissue structure.
  • To discuss changes in gene expression during this period.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing literature on corneal development and eyelid opening.
  • Comparative analysis of developmental events in human and rodent models.
  • Examination of cellular and molecular changes.

Main Results:

  • Eyelid opening triggers significant changes in corneal epithelium, stroma, and endothelium.
  • The tear film and associated proteins emerge post-eyelid opening.
  • Stromal swelling and thinning occur, alongside widespread gene expression alterations.

Conclusions:

  • Eyelid opening is a pivotal event in postnatal corneal development.
  • These developmental processes are crucial for establishing mature corneal function.
  • Further research into gene expression changes can illuminate corneal development.

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