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The role of Wnt/β-catenin pathway for skin-derived precursors differentiating into corneal endothelial cell-like

Lin Shen1, Lijie Pan2, Chengqun Ju3

  • 1Department of Ophthalmology, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China; Laboratory of Basic Medical Science, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University.

Experimental Eye Research
|February 27, 2022
PubMed

Insights

Skin-derived precursors (SKPs) can become corneal endothelial-like cells (CECs) through Wnt/β-catenin pathway activation. Inhibiting this pathway suppressed CEC-like cell induction, highlighting its crucial role in generating cells for eye repair.

Area of Science:

  • Ophthalmology
  • Regenerative Medicine
  • Cell Biology

Background:

  • Bullous keratopathy necessitates corneal endothelial transplantation.
  • A shortage of donor corneas drives the search for alternative sources of corneal endothelial cells (CECs).
  • Previous work demonstrated skin-derived precursors (SKPs) can differentiate into CEC-like cells, but the mechanism was unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To elucidate the role of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway in the differentiation of SKPs into CEC-like cells.
  • To investigate the mechanism underlying SKP differentiation into functional CECs.

Main Methods:

  • Monitoring the expression of key Wnt/β-catenin pathway components (active β-Catenin, p-GSK3β, P-LRP6, LRP6) during SKP differentiation.
  • Utilizing a specific Wnt/β-catenin pathway inhibitor to assess its impact on CEC-like cell induction.

Main Results:

  • Upregulation of active β-Catenin, p-GSK3β, P-LRP6, and LRP6 confirmed Wnt/β-catenin pathway activation during CEC-like cell induction.
  • Inhibition of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway significantly suppressed the differentiation process.
  • These findings demonstrate the pathway's critical involvement in generating CEC-like cells from SKPs.

Conclusions:

  • The Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway is essential for inducing corneal endothelial-like cells from skin-derived precursors.
  • This research provides a foundation for generating abundant CECs for potential clinical applications in cellular replacement therapy and regenerative medicine for blinding eye diseases.
Keywords:
Cell differentiationCorneal endothelial cell-like cellsSkin-derived precursorsWnt/β-catenin pathway

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