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Establishment, Maintenance, Differentiation, Genetic Manipulation, and Transplantation of Mouse and Human Lacrimal Gland Organoids
Published on: February 3, 2023
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Lacrimal Gland Repair Using Progenitor Cells
Anastasia Gromova1,2, Dmitry A Voronov1,3, Miya Yoshida1
1Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California, USA.
Stem Cells Translational Medicine
|February 8, 2017
Summary
This study demonstrates that transplanting epithelial progenitor cells (EPCPs) into lacrimal glands can restore function in a dry eye model. This offers a promising cell therapy for aqueous-deficiency dry eye (ADDE).
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Regenerative Medicine
- Cell Biology
Background:
- The lacrimal gland (LG) produces the tear film's aqueous layer, crucial for eye health.
- Aqueous-deficiency dry eye (ADDE) results from insufficient tear production and lacks a cure.
- Lacrimal gland stem/progenitor cell isolation is key for developing cell replacement therapies for ADDE.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the therapeutic potential of epithelial progenitor cells (EPCPs) from mouse lacrimal glands.
- To evaluate EPCP transplantation in a novel mouse model of chronic dry eye (TSP-1-/- mice).
Main Methods:
- Isolated EPCPs from adult wild-type mouse lacrimal glands (LGs).
- Characterized EPCPs by identifying specific cell surface markers (c-kit dim/EpCAM+/Sca1-/CD34-/CD45-).
- Transplanted EPCPs into the LGs of TSP-1-/- mice and assessed engraftment and functional recovery.
Main Results:
- Identified a specific subset of c-kit dim/EpCAM+/Sca1-/CD34-/CD45- cells as epithelial progenitor cells (EPCPs).
- Transplanted EPCPs successfully engrafted into lacrimal gland acinar and ductal compartments.
- EPCP transplantation reduced inflammation and improved lacrimal gland structure and function in TSP-1-/- mice.
Conclusions:
- Adult EPCPs possess the characteristics of progenitor cells and can differentiate within the lacrimal gland.
- EPCP cell transplantation is a viable strategy to restore lacrimal gland function in a model of dry eye disease.
- This research provides the first evidence for using adult EPCP transplantation to rescue lacrimal gland dysfunction.
