Three-Dimensional, Serum-Free Culture System for Lacrimal Gland Stem Cells

Lacrimal gland (LG) stem cell-based therapy is a promising strategy for lacrimal gland diseases. However, the lack of a reliable, serum-free culture method to obtain a sufficient number of LG stem cells (LGSCs) is one obstacle for further research and application. The three-dimensional (3D), serum-free culture method for adult mouse LGSCs is well established and shown here. The LGSCs could be continuously passaged and induced to differentiate to acinar or ductal-like cells. For the LGSC primary culture, the LGs from 6-8-week-old mice were digested with dispase, collagenase I, and trypsin-EDTA. A total of 1 × 10⁴ single cells were seeded into 80 µL of matrix gel-lacrimal gland stem cell medium (LGSCM) matrix in each well of a 24-well plate, precoated with 20 µL of matrix gel-LGSCM matrix. The mix was solidified after incubation for 20 min at 37 °C, and 600 µL of LGSCM added. For LGSC maintenance, LGSCs cultured for 7 days were disaggregated into single cells by dispase and trypsin-EDTA. The single cells were implanted and cultured according to the method used in the LGSC primary culture. LGSCs could be passaged over 40 times and continuously express stem/progenitor cell markers Krt14, Krt5, P63, and nestin. LGSCs cultured in LGSCM have self-renewal capacity and can differentiate into acinar or ductal-like cells in vitro and in vivo.