周術期医学ジャーナル
オープンアクセス

概要

Defining the Limbal Stem Cell Niche

Trevor Sherwin

The cornea forms the front transparent cover of the eye which is reputed to be maintained by a population of adult stem cells located at the junction of the cornea and the white sclera of the eye. This area is known as the limbus and the stem cells as limbal stem cells. The desire to describe the exact location of the stem cells at the limbus has led to several descriptions of anatomical features that could provide the niche environment for these cells. Our laboratory, acting upon evidence that the limbus is not the sole location of adult stem cells in the cornea, analysed whether the limbal stem cells could exist outside of the limbal environment and whether they would still retain the properties required to maintain the corneal surface.