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Updated: Apr 16, 2026
Growth of Human and Sheep Corneal Endothelial Cell Layers on Biomaterial Membranes
Published on: February 6, 2020
Human growth hormone promotes corneal epithelial cell migration in vitro
Juan Ding1, Barbara Wirostko, David A Sullivan
1*Schepens Eye Research Institute, Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA; †Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA; ‡Jade Therapeutics, Inc, University of Utah Research Park, Salt Lake City, UT; and §Moran Eye Center, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT.
Purpose:
Corneal wound healing is a highly regulated process that requires the proliferation and migration of epithelial cells and interactions between epithelial cells and stromal fibroblasts. Compounds that can be applied topically to the ocular surface and that have the capability of activating corneal epithelial cells to proliferate and/or migrate would be useful to promote corneal wound healing. We hypothesize that human growth hormone (HGH) will activate signal transducers and activators of transcription-5 (STAT5) signaling and promote corneal wound healing by enhancing corneal epithelial cell and fibroblast proliferation and/or migration in vitro. The purpose of this study was to test these hypotheses.
Methods:
We studied cell signaling, proliferation, and migration using an immortalized human corneal epithelial cell line and primary human corneal fibroblasts in vitro. We also examined whether insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), a hormone known to mediate many of HGH's growth promoting actions, may play a role in this effect.
Results:
We show that HGH activates STAT5 signaling and promotes corneal epithelial cell migration in vitro. The migratory effect requires an intact communication between corneal epithelia and fibroblasts and is not mediated by IGF-1.
Conclusions:
HGH may represent a topical therapeutic to promote corneal epithelial wound healing. This warrants further investigation.
