Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 23, 2025
Three-Dimensional, Serum-Free Culture System for Lacrimal Gland Stem Cells
Published on: June 2, 2022
Human Lacrimal Gland Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells - Isolation, Propagation, and Characterization
Jilu Jaffet1,2, Aparna Mohanty1,3, Induvahi Veernala3
1Centre for Ocular Regeneration, Professor Brien Holden Eye Research Centre, Champalimaud Translational Centre for Eye Research, L. V. Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad, Telangana, India.
Purpose:
The existing treatment options for dry eye disease (DED) due to lacrimal gland (LG) dysfunction are mainly palliative. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) based therapies and 3D-LG organoids have been explored as a curative option for LG regeneration in animal models. Human LG epithelial cultures are previously established and, here, we aim to isolate and characterize the spindle-shaped cells obtained from primary human LG cultures in order to unveil its MSC property.
Methods:
Normal human lacrimal glands were obtained from individuals undergoing LG debulking surgery. The conditions for human LG-MSC culture were standardized to obtain pure population of LG-MSCs at passage 3. Population doubling time (PDT), expression of phenotypic markers, tri-lineage differentiation, colony forming potential, and gene expression analysis were carried out to assess the phenotypic and genotypic characteristics compared to bone marrow-MSCs (BM-MSCs).
Results:
Our data show that these spindle-shaped cells exhibit similar phenotypic expression, colony-forming ability, and trilineage differentiation like BM-MSCs. Moreover, the gene expression also did not show any significant difference, except for increased IL1-β in LG-MSCs. The LG-MSCs do not express any lacrimal epithelial markers unlike LG tissue.
Conclusions:
This study reveals the first-time evidence for the presence of MSC population within the human LGs, and these cells might play a role in maintaining healthy microenvironment within normal LG and repair in diseased LGs.
