Morphofunctional Properties of Corneal Stromal Cells

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Cell Biology
• Regenerative Medicine

Background:

• Human corneal stromal cells are crucial for maintaining corneal transparency and function.
• Laser vision correction procedures, such as ReLEx SMILE, yield lenticules that represent a potential source of these cells.
• Understanding the characteristics and potential of these cells is vital for advancing ocular therapies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To isolate and characterize human corneal stromal cells from ReLEx SMILE lenticules.
• To investigate the differentiation potential of these cells into keratocytes.
• To explore the influence of growth factors on cell behavior and function.

Main Methods:

• Enzymatic digestion of lenticules obtained from ReLEx SMILE laser vision correction.
• Cell culture and characterization using flow cytometry for specific cell surface markers (CD90, CD73, CD105, ALDH1A1).
• Assessment of cell differentiation into keratocytes in specialized media and evaluation of growth factor effects.

Main Results:

• Isolation of fibroblast-like cells with a CD90-/CD73+/CD105+/ALDH1A1+ phenotype from corneal lenticules.
• Demonstration of these cells' ability to differentiate into keratocytes in a specialized medium.
• Identification of fetal calf serum concentration as a factor influencing cell proliferation, growth factor production (erythropoietin, brain-derived neurotrophic factor), and extracellular matrix production.

Conclusions:

• Fibroblast-like cells isolated from ReLEx SMILE lenticules possess significant functional potential.
• These cells can be differentiated into keratocytes, suggesting their utility in ophthalmology.
• The findings support the development of novel cell-based therapies for ophthalmic conditions using these readily available cells.